revamped jennings machine?

[Denny]

Seller states this is a jennings skyscrapper. Doesn't look like an original to me. Is this a pace revamp and if so does jackpot look correct?

Thanks

[nvmos2]

Yes; there is a lot of misinformation on flebay.

You are correct; this is a revamp, but not Pace;
It is a Jennings/National Twin Jackpot Revamp (1933-1936).
National made this jackpot front for both Mills and Jennings machines.

I am not familiar enough with the jackpot front to tell from the inside photo if it is complete/all original National;
hopefully someone else might cover that.

[MONTI]

FUNNY, I JUST HAD A CUSTOMER CALL AND ASK ME ABOUT THIS SLOT THIS MORNING listed in the Northern California area, I believe!
First of all Jennings never made a slot machine with the name "Skyscraper" that I am aware of, it was Mills that made the SKYSCRAPER in, I believe 1932 and 1933, this model shown here in the picture below recently came thru my shop for a full restoration and sale and is the "2 Plays for a Nickel" version.
Notice the difference in the front jackpot configuration as Mills used primarily, reserve over main jackpot.
The so-called Jennings "Sky Scraper" has the side by side Jackpot.
This seems to be some sort of "Revamp" but personally I have never seen one like this before, but I learn everyday that in 40 years I have not seen everything in this hobby.
If I am wrong in the statements above someone please let me know.

[MONTI]

Oh, and as to the front jackpot being complete, the picture is not a high enough resolution to blow it up and fully check it out but from what I can see I will "shoot from the hip" and say it looks to be all there.

[nvmos2]

Monti;

Correct: Jennings never made a model called the Skyscraper, so don't even call it that; we don't want to perpetuate that flebay misinformation.

The machine posted by Denny is a revamp; it is a Jennings gooseneck with a National Twin Jackpot revamp front.
Bueschel calls it one of the most widely sold revamp fronts, but it is often confused with the Pace Star front.

If I were to "shoot from the hip", I'd say it's complete also, but would not be able to tell if something less obvious is missing (like a cover over the coin chute?),
so I'd leave that question alone.

Nice job on the Mills Skyscraper; I don't know about the color scheme,
but that is a great looking machine.

[Midcoast Vintage]

The correct name is the NATIONAL TWIN JACK POT.
The NATIONAL COIN MACHINE EXCHANGE was originally called LINCOLN NOVELTY.
They were in Toledo, Ohio.
Below is page 85 from Dick Bueschel's "LEMONS, CHERRIES, and BELL FRUIT GUM".
Click on the photo to enlarge.

[nvmos2]

Excellent; the page posted by Midcoast has a decent view of the jackpot for comparison with the one on flebay;
a critical part is item 12 which isn't on the front but attaches to the mechanism;
if that's missing; no jackpot dumps.

The correct name National Twin Jack Pot applies to the front attachment kit only;
it does not identify the machine when it's been installed;
you have to add a Mills or Jennings to the name to identify a machine that has been revamped with this front.
It should be noted that the front came in 3 versions;
one for each of the machine models shown in the ad;
although the variations would have been slight, they would not have been interchangeable.

[altort]

Hey Monti

The Mills two pull is a great machine, I have two, one restored the second waiting to be restored.

Do you happen to have the reel strip combination? From what I can tell there is three different reel strip combinations, both of mine have the same strips combination, the one that Dave use to have had an other combination, I have watched his you tube video many times to try and figure out that combination but just cant, maybe Dave has it some were, then on ebay there is a third combination.
My strips are as follow,

1st reel: cherry orange bar bell lemon orange cherry plum lemon bell orange lemon cherry orange lemon cherry orange lemon bell orange

2nd reel: plum cherry bell plum orange cherry bar plum cherry bell plum cherry bell cherry plum bar cherry plum bar cherry

3rd reel: orange lemon bar plum orange bell lemon orange bell plum lemon orange plum lemon orange plum lemon orange plum lemon.

I would be very interested in the reel strip combination your 2 pull has.

Al

[mechanic]

National Coin Machine Exchange Made in Toledo Oh was very similar to the Pace revamp fronts. One way to be sure is check the reel strips they should have NATIONAL on the bars. If not the strips were changed at some point. No repros of National strips exist . Lincoln Novelty Co. Toledo Oh was operating at the same time period and was affiliated with National but they were two seperate companies operating out of the same building. Lincoln Scale Co. as the main business was called burned to the ground in 1941 ending operations of both. Lincoln Novelty made a model called Hound and Hare, a plain front lower casting with a little hound on left chasing a little rabbit on the right. This machine is almost always misidentified. No repro parts are available for Lincoln Novelty either. Other companies in Toledo OH were Service Sales Co. and Buckeye Novelty Co of which only 3 machines have been found. The jackpot was invented by an operator in Toledo OH for table top three reelers in 1923 but was unable to get the parts made for it till Pace Mfg. said they would this is why the National and Pace machines look so similar.

[Midcoast Vintage]

The below is from Dick Bueschel's book LEMONS, CHERRIES, and BELL FRUIT GUM.
Page 85, top left.
Page 86, 87, and, 88, go on to discuss more about Charlie Jameson, Lincoln Novelty, National Coin Machine Exchange, and also mentions the hare & hound front.
Great book, full of information not available elsewhere.
Click on the picture to enlarge.