Mills Horsehead Bonus

[SLOTMANDAVE]

I started cleaning up a horse head bonus and found it was cast iron and maple wood?? I thought they were aluminum ? Were they made different years with different materials? I can tell you this one is one heavy machine! WOW!
Which is a rarer machine and what are the proper colors to paint them? It is a five cent machine.
The mech looks a little tricky on the bonus .

[flipper77]

I too have a cast iron Horsehead Bonus. These were made in the war time production when aluminum was designated for war products. Believe that mine is fully original so the paint colors should be true. Light maple sides and nickel denomination. If your BONUS mechanism is original and not tampered with, should just need the simple synchronization to align the reel stops with the top letters. The BONUS set-up instructions have been frequently posted - can supply if you need. And this machine is noticeably heavier! One of the reasons that I bought - it has such a solid smooth play. In my office and one of my favorite machines. Glad to provide any pictures that you might need. And I believe Stephane (gsx11r) had detailed Mills Horsehead Bonus pictures in a previous post. Good luck - nice machine!

Flip

[gsx11r]

And I believe Stephane (gsx11r) had detailed Mills Horsehead Bonus pictures in a previous post. Good luck - nice machine!

Flip

Hi
That was not me but "Mills" ,an other french guy !
You can visit his new website !With horse bonus pictures and some others Infos !
http://www.retro-jackpot.fr/
Have a nice day
Stephane

[flipper77]

Sorry Stephane - that explains why I couln't find the posting when I searched under your name. I remembered the generous help that you provided me on the Watling side vender linkage question and jumped to a wrong assumption. Ooops!

[TJ]

Serial # 468641 belongs to my Horsehead bonus, it is aluminum, and has changed hands only one time in the last 30 plus years. Hope it is a good number. The colors look original, but the glass film has continued to deteriorate. Don't have pictures ready to post but if interested will post some.

[watlingboy]

The color scheme for the cast iron Horse Head Bonus that Flipper posted is correct and that is the only one I have ever seen for cast iron unless someone else can provide something else. Do not paint it the same as an aluminum one, if you want it original, because it is not the same and not correct.

Watlingboy

[SLOTMANDAVE]

I took the machine apart to paint and under the five cent badge there was a ugly green that I have seen before on the horsehead machines ? I do like the bronze one by flipper but how can I be sure on the color?

[watlingboy]

As stated, I've never seen a green or green and brown cast iron Horse Head. I'm assuming you have no paint traces left on your castings except for under the badge. Unless someone can produce a photo of an unrestored cast iron that is something different from the nice original Flipper has shown, that's the color scheme. The thing you can't tell is whether that green is original to your machine or is that something someone did years ago.

Watlingboy

[Anglobritish]

Hi Guy's,
If it is any help, find attached a Black and White picture fro the July 1941 "Spinning Reels" magazine, by 1941 Mills were fitting Club Handles, the colored flyer is from 1937 with a Side Vendor and pressed steel handle. I think Bronze and Green with polished Aluminum flashes were used, especially on the 1937 model.

In 1937 Bell's (Slot Machines) were making a comeback, Mills was hoping that the Mills Bursting Cherry (Cherry Bell) and the Mills Bonus, would surpass the record set my the Mills Blue Front for a record production run.

Freddy Bailey

[SLOTMANDAVE]

Thanks for all the info, But the bronze and green machine Freddy posted a picture of would make sense as that is where the green would be and that shade of green looks like what I found but like I said I like Flippers colors but can't tell from the picture is the horse head white or chrome? I have seen these colors before on machines and in books. Its either my eyes or my computer making I where I can't tell?. Also are the values the same for the cast iron and the aluminum ?