Wanted: Mills 5c Extraordinary, early version

[JPCass]

That machine does appear to have the gold award hardware all there. Interesting to see if the mech he sends you also has the gold award reel bundle on it.

I'm hardly an expert, but from what I remember of the early one (very similar if not identical to this) that I restored years ago, and some pictures I've seen since, I thought most things like the back chute casting were in place so that Gold Award could be added if the blank was taken out and replaced by a window as shown in the old Mills ads, and the last couple of drop mechanism parts put in to make it active - but it's not really a Gold Award unless it has the window where the Gold Award tokens show, right?

Below is as much of a view of the inside of the case as I have so far, and the mech - which has some interesting old reel strips on it. There is some sort of trip lever in front of the coin tube that looks like it would connect to something in about the vicinity of the Gold Award assembly, so could it be some version of Gold Award?

I appreciate the pointers.

Thanks,




JP

[oldslotman]

I'll bet that the gold award glass is there and that it is just painted over. That mech does have the gold award trip arm. Hard to see if the award card has gold award payout on it. Looks like it could be on it. Appears to be gold award symbol on the reel bundle. First reel just under the lemon.

[rtmccurdy]

I have two Mills Extraordinary slots that have a gold award. #885517 on the left is original (untouched) 5-cent 2-part with gold award, 2-view jackpot, orig. chrome, and star side vendor (have the vendor---need the inner linkage!). The other I restored (#438034 10-cent, originally untouched) is a 2-part casting, single view jackpot, and had a gold award mechanism on the lower casting but the mech and orig. reel strips were not gold award. Both have original paper eagle front marquees. All numbers matched so perhaps Mills included the gold award mech for future upgrade?? Wasn't there a discussion on whether or not Mills created a chrome Extraordinary in the past?

[rtmccurdy]

Sorry #385517 on the chrome machine!

[JPCass]

I have two Mills Extraordinary slots that have a gold award. #885517 on the left is original (untouched) 5-cent 2-part with gold award, 2-view jackpot, orig. chrome, and star side vendor (have the vendor---need the inner linkage!). The other I restored (#438034 10-cent, originally untouched) is a 2-part casting, single view jackpot, and had a gold award mechanism on the lower casting but the mech and orig. reel strips were not gold award. Both have original paper eagle front marquees. All numbers matched so perhaps Mills included the gold award mech for future upgrade?? Wasn't there a discussion on whether or not Mills created a chrome Extraordinary in the past?

Thanks for posting those pics. I'm particularly interested to see the original paint job on the untouched Extraordinary, especially the use of red - for the early QT Firebird that I'm restoring, I picked a shade of blue intended to also be used on the Extraordinary to make them a pair, and the same with a red in case it was appropriate - which I didn't remember finding any trace of on the first early Extraordinary that I restored years ago. I was also surprised to see the finished oak bases, as I think my first Extraordinary had an originally painted base - and I'm also pretty sure that it had the bolts in it that show on the front.

In a couple of weeks when I get the machine in and can poke around a couple of things like the Gold Award mechanism, I'll post better pics and details of what I've found, probably to the Fantastic Finds forum. In the meantime, here are a couple more pics that may show a bit more of the award card and reel strips - I'm not seeing anything I can identify as Gold Award, which is not to say I'm not missing something, or that the machine might not actually have been rigged for it to work at at first and then changed early on - but if y'all want to continue giving me some hints of what to look for, it is much appreciated.

Oh, and by the way, on eBay today in a collecting specialty that I know very well, I'm pretty sure that I picked up something very nice for about half the going price, there must not have been other collectors who picked up on it (and there may not have been enough margin for dealers to bite), so sometimes you overpay but then sometimes you get a steal....



JP

[oldslotman]

I have two Mills Extraordinary slots that have a gold award. #885517 on the left is original (untouched) 5-cent 2-part with gold award, 2-view jackpot, orig. chrome, and star side vendor (have the vendor---need the inner linkage!). The other I restored (#438034 10-cent, originally untouched) is a 2-part casting, single view jackpot, and had a gold award mechanism on the lower casting but the mech and orig. reel strips were not gold award. Both have original paper eagle front marquees. All numbers matched so perhaps Mills included the gold award mech for future upgrade?? Wasn't there a discussion on whether or not Mills created a chrome Extraordinary in the past?

Thanks for posting those pics. I'm particularly interested to see the original paint job on the untouched Extraordinary, especially the use of red - for the early QT Firebird that I'm restoring, I picked a shade of blue intended to also be used on the Extraordinary to make them a pair, and the same with a red in case it was appropriate - which I didn't remember finding any trace of on the first early Extraordinary that I restored years ago. I was also surprised to see the finished oak bases, as I think my first Extraordinary had an originally painted base - and I'm also pretty sure that it had the bolts in it that show on the front.

In a couple of weeks when I get the machine in and can poke around a couple of things like the Gold Award mechanism, I'll post better pics and details of what I've found, probably to the Fantastic Finds forum. In the meantime, here are a couple more pics that may show a bit more of the award card and reel strips - I'm not seeing anything I can identify as Gold Award, which is not to say I'm not missing something, or that the machine might not actually have been rigged for it to work at at first and then changed early on - but if y'all want to continue giving me some hints of what to look for, it is much appreciated.

Oh, and by the way, on eBay today in a collecting specialty that I know very well, I'm pretty sure that I picked up something very nice for about half the going price, there must not have been other collectors who picked up on it (and there may not have been enough margin for dealers to bite), so sometimes you overpay but then sometimes you get a steal....



JP

Onthe third reel just below the cherry the yellow symbol is not a lemon or bell. Looks like a gold award symbol. What else could it be?

[doc]

If anyone is still looking for an Extraordinary plaque, there is one on ebay in auction 301590602652.

Here is the link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/A-Mills-Extraor ... 463833639c

Current bid is $15.

[JPCass]

Interesting, the same seller who has that Extraordinary plaque, is the one who I bought the case and mech from last week - assuming they went together, though they were auctioned separately (the machine, which doesn't have a handle, appeared to have come out of an original wood stand, which they also listed showing the machine in it but specified as not included - contributing to my impression that they were piecing it out - but then ended that listing).

Now, they are also listing a mech with obvious Gold Award reel strips, but I'm not so obviously seeing what I thought would be the Gold Award trip lever....

- http://www.ebay.com/itm/291429460449

[nvmos2]

[quote="J
Now, they are also listing a mech with obvious Gold Award reel strips, but I'm not so obviously seeing what I thought would be the Gold Award trip lever....

- http://www.ebay.com/itm/291429460449[/quote]

You are correct;
the mechanism on flebay has a gold award reel bundle but is missing the GA trip lever/linkage.

[sam2002]

Interesting, the same seller who has that Extraordinary plaque, is the one who I bought the case and mech from last week - assuming they went together, though they were auctioned separately (the machine, which doesn't have a handle, appeared to have come out of an original wood stand, which they also listed showing the machine in it but specified as not included - contributing to my impression that they were piecing it out - but then ended that listing).

Now, they are also listing a mech with obvious Gold Award reel strips, but I'm not so obviously seeing what I thought would be the Gold Award trip lever....

- http://www.ebay.com/itm/291429460449

I had asked this seller questions on the wood stand and was going to bid on it but he removed it . Said it sold in a local sale ..........