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Hi,

We have an old Watling Rol-A-Top bottom coin front casting which has the "counterfeit" coins cascading down on either side of the jackpot window. I remember reading ... somewhere ... years ago the the Feds made Watling replace the coin images because they looked too real. I wonder if anyone recalls anything more specific about this change (was it the Treasury Dept., in what year, for how long, etc.) We will be selling this piece on ebay and want to make sure our info in accurate. Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks,

Dick Gilbert

Here's the story!! Rolator was introduced in early 1934 and within 6 months was sued by the Kelvinator Corp that was producing an appliance either a refrigerator or washer called the Rolator. So the leg of the R was removed and the P was left to settle the suit. Another 6 months later the US Secret Service (Treasury Dept.) paid a visit to Watling accusing him of making counterfeit US coins. You must remember that back then any type of facsimile, copy or other types of showing US coinage or paper other than officially made legal tender was strictly prohibited. This law was not eased till sometime in the 80's. So Watling had no choice than to modify the castings to show the coinage as more foreign (european). This satisfied the Feds and Watling was off and running till 1968.

Just curious, does the story about the feds making Watling change the castings to foreign coins appear in print anywhere?

Thanks,

Watlingboy

1) the rolator story is correct. it was a refrigerator with the shelves mounted on a post. they either rotated, or swung out, can't remember which,. good idea! beats digging and knocking stuff over.
2) the coin change story was related by dick bueschel in one of the early slt price guides as i recall.

The part about The Rol-A-Tor is absolutely correct and it is well documented. It was the Norge company which came out with a refrigerator that was called the Rolator.

I have heard the foreign coin casting story for years and never quite believed it was true. Only because, Watling started putting foreign bottom castings on machines with American coin top castings but not the reverse. A lot of machines were made like this. Why didn't they have to make both castings foreign, eventually they did. The other strange thing is the 50 cent Rol-A-Tor came out in 1935. From the beginning of the 50 cent production run to the end of it in 1951, every 50 cent machine, that I have ever seen, has American coins on it. And they had to make new match plates, they didn't use the same ones for 15 years. I was hoping that the information was printed in a coin machine journal and someone had found it. So until it actually shows up in print somewhere, I will have to remain skeptical.

Watlingboy