http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-VINTAGE ... 7675.l2557this is the ebay listing for the machine that the OP posted.
[link in opening post is now dead for some reason i think]
i hadnt seen a mashup as this before and was interested
to see what replies were forthcoming to the thread.
the general consensus from posts seemed to be that it was
a one off mash up mongrel of a machine?
however, i think its an ace novelty manufactured machine.
eg an ace novelty cabinet using ex pace mechanism and star
boss, combined with mills stamped castings and outer trim.
it should have an ace and not mills above reelglass trim piece
with playing card embossing & should have an ace award card,
ace brand decals on side? and ace paper serial sticker on inside.
the initials stamped on the base at the rear would have matched
serial number on paper decal inside, MD? 000 then serial number
ace were i believe the reincarnation of pace in someway and that
would explain useage of ex pace hardware and mechanisms too?
however, doesnt explain useage of mills castings and backdoors
unless they bought some tooling or were in arrangement similar
to pace jackpots castings on mills/jennings machines tieins etc
although i am not familiar with the demise of pace and the
emergence of ace.
i am not based in US so would appreciate if the more knowledgeable
people here could at least give me a heads up on ace novelty or ace
inc or whatever they were known as.