Early Mills Extraordinary with 1934 World's Fair reel strips

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Early Mills Extraordinary with 1934 World's Fair reel strips

Postby JPCass » Mon May 04, 2015 5:15 am

Here is the machine that I already posted about in Machines Wanted, after having found what I was looking for - on eBay, nonetheless, taken out of a (later) stand with the case and mech being sold separately, though those may have been an early assemblage with non-matching serial numbers (case 341895, mech 339398). I've stripped the layers of old paint off the castings (exposing a painted-over Gold Award window, with original glass darkened from age), and done some preliminary work starting to prepare the areas to be polished and left unpainted.

The question that I want to ask first, is, has anyone ever seen these Worlds Fair associated reel strips? (dated 1-23-34, 8-28-34 and 8-28-34) This was not referenced in the auction listing, and is an exciting find for me, because my interest in this machine is its art deco design, and its World Fair association; I still have World's Fair memorabilia that I had for my first machine, and had recently bought more to get ideas of circa 1933 color hues (blues and reds typically had violet in them, I found) for the early QT Firebird that I'm restoring - and also in anticipation of finding another World's Fair / Extraordinary.

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Restored Mills 5c Extraordinary "barn find", long gone - now restoring 1934 5c Extraordinary Gold Award with original World's Fair reel strips
Restoring early Mills 5c Firebird (large coin view window)
About to take on a Mills 5c Vest Pocket
JPCass
 
Posts: 91
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2015 5:36 pm
Location: Rutland, VT (formerly Denver, CO)

Re: Early Mills Extraordinary with 1934 World's Fair reel st

Postby JPCass » Mon May 04, 2015 5:21 am

Here are a couple more pictures.

The Gold Award mechanism was all still in place, and I was successfully able to test it. However, the mechanism has washers brazed over the Gold Award notches - even though the Gold Award trip lever was left on it!

I had to acquire and install a handle (missing, since it had been in a stand) and a cash box door, the only major two missing parts.

IMG_20150503_201044.jpg
IMG_20150503_201102.jpg
IMG_20150503_200632.jpg
IMG_20150503_200326.jpg
IMG_20150503_200311.jpg
Restored Mills 5c Extraordinary "barn find", long gone - now restoring 1934 5c Extraordinary Gold Award with original World's Fair reel strips
Restoring early Mills 5c Firebird (large coin view window)
About to take on a Mills 5c Vest Pocket
JPCass
 
Posts: 91
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2015 5:36 pm
Location: Rutland, VT (formerly Denver, CO)


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