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Hi. I'm looking at a working Mills Castle Nickel (circa 1936-38). There are only three coins in the jackpot window. I've checked the Web and found info on how the jackpot works and that there's a reserve jackpot that drops down on the next pull following a payout. It looks like nickels populate these hoppers from played coins. When I was viewing the machine, nickels were moving along the escalator, there were payouts, and I could hear some coins dropping somewhere. But I can also say as coins were played, the number of coins in the jackpot window were not increasing. My question is, what is the order that the jackpots fill on an empty machine? Does the reserve fill, then the main; or should coins be dropping in for every play? Does the main jackpot have to be filled manually, etc.? As you can guess, I'm trying to verify the working condition, and I'm not sure what feedback to give to the owner (who can't seem to remember when it was last played, before I looked at it) or what to look for if/when additional coins are played. Any advise greatly appreciated.

The reserve jackpot fills first. Once the reserve is filled it will then start filling the main jackpot. The coin tube has to be full before it starts filling the jackpots. Some machine will have a coin management system which will start filling the jackpots if the coin tube is only half full. The coin management system is removed on many machines

If you are talking about the coins in the glass towards the bottom, I had to open the area and add the coins. To my knowledge the coins must be placed manually. Theses coins are not part of the jack pot they are just display.

Then you have no jackpot

Then you have no jackpot

Here is an example of a complete jackpot mechanism...

The brass tube fills with coins to be paid out. The fingers at the bottom of the pay out tube determine how many coins drop. When the tube is full they drop to the cash box though the chrome slide down to the cash box. Pictured on the bottom right. The display window is behind the coin box slide. It must be removed to add or remove coins from the display. You will note my machine is missing the coin management system on the left of the cash box slide. It works fine with out it just means the tube is filled again before any money goes to the cash box.

Compare your jackpot mech to the one I posted. Yours is missing the springs and levers on the sides that control the coin flow. It appears you just have the shell of the jackpot mech with no internal components so the coins avoid the jackpot and reserve jackpot and flow direct to the cash box.

Thank you. Guess I am looking for parts for both my machine and no idea whereto get them. The tube fills and has paid out 18 coins. Have yet to get a jackpot.
The original question is answered know I have them.

It would be easier to buy a complete jackpot.

George