This mid 1940's slot machine has been in our proprietor's family since he was a child (a long time ago!). It is commonly referred to as a Mills black cherry quarter slot machine.
It was rescued from a fraternal lodge in Northern Illinois just before the sheriff came with his sledgehammer.
By the time our proprietor inherited it, it was in somewhat sad shape. Apparently, every time the lodge's bar walls were painted, they painted the slot machines as well. It had many different color coats of latex house paint over the face, side and back. The reels operated, but very slowly. The handle worked its way loose, and the slop eventually split the wood on the right side.
Restoration started with removal of the mechanism from the case and complete sandblasting of the case. The split in the wood was repaired through biscuit joinery. The wooden sides were then sanded and revarnished and a reproduction of the original Mills decal applied to the left side. The front panel was painted a hammertone blue, a close match to the original discovered during sandblasting (see comments below on Buckley slot machines.) The rear bonnet and door were painted the original wrinkle black and a reproduction 'Owner's Maintenance' card was glued to the inside of the rear door.
A relubrication of the mechanism cured the slow operation. The slot now looked and operated as new.
This example of the Mills Black Cherry is actually a Buckley Company remanufactured Mills. You can see the Buckley stamp on this picture of the frame. Buckley would buy used Mills machines, refurbish the mechanics, change the color scheme a bit, then resell them. So technically, this is a Buckley black cherry slot, which is why the arrangements of the cherries and the color differ slightly from the Mills version (the original Mills cherries were offset rather than lining up horizontally and they painted their cases silver rather than light blue.)
The slot came with the original double sided key, somewhat of a rare occurrence. Over the years these keys tend to get lost and modern replacement locks end up getting installed.
Here is a decal we created in Photoshop to replicate the original Mills Owl used on their slot machine stands.

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An authentic slot machine is a big investment (well over $1,000) to most people. These vintage machines are great conversation pieces as well as a great part of our history. Here are some tips so you don’t get burned!

Take note. The following models of slot machines have been reproduced.
Mills War Eagle, Mills Golden Nugget, Mills Castle Front, Mills Bursting Cherry (AKA Brown Front), Mills Wolf Head (AKA Lion Head), Mills Hightop, Watling Treasury and Watling Rol-A-Top.

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For Starters Simply Look At The Machine
Take a look at the castings, the wood base & sides, and the mechanism. If they all look brand new then they probably are. Look at where the door fits into the wood base. Does it have nice sharp edges? If so, then it is probably new. Look at the mechanism, is it super clean? If so, then it is probably brand new.

The Hoke Snake, circa late 1930's, is a perfect example of how manufacturers tried to evade gambling laws by re-manufacturing existing slot machines and adding the challenge of completing a skillful effort to receive potential winnings. In this case, popping a ball into the snakes mouth.
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Most people concentrate on the outside of the machine when they restore it. They will only bead blast the mechanism if it is rusty. In any case, the cabinet, even if it has been restored, should show signs of its age.

Serial Numbers
Reproductions do NOT have serial numbers stamped in the castings. If you are thinking about buying a Mills machine, for example, ask the seller for the serial number. This is probably the easiest way to determine if the machine is legitimate or not.

More on Mills Machines
Most reproductionMills machines are quarter denomination. In reality, very few of these machines that were made in the 30’s were quarter machines. Most of them were nickel.

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Another warning sign is the payout. If the machine pays on a single cherry, then there is a good chance the machine is a reproduction. However, legitimate machines that were made in the 30s required two cherries before they paid out.

Snake Key For Mills Slot Machine Slider Machine

Another warning sign is the back door. If it is totally smooth and painted glossy black, then it is a reproduction back door. Original back doors are not totally smooth. They are made of heavy gauge steel. Sometimes original machines have reproduction back doors because the original got lost.

Some people will say the machine has to be original because it has a red Mills sticker on the side of the machine. You can get these stickers for $1.50 and they are used when people restore a machine. When it comes to proving that a machine is not fake they mean nothing.

Also, look at the slides. If they are plastic (originals are brass) then get away from the machine. Most of the people making the fakes use metal slides, just like the originals. The really bad knock-offs use plastic slides.

Snake Key For Mills Slot Machine Slider Operator

Golden Nuggets
Most of the Golden Nuggets listed on eBay are fake, phony, reproduction, remanufactured machines. Very few original Golden Nuggets exist. Fortunately, it’s easy to tell an original from a fake.

Snake Key For Mills Slot Machine Slider Machines

Original Golden Nuggets have the following:
1) A formic cabinet – repros have a solid wood base.
2) Extra wide coin tray – repros have a smaller coin tray.
3) Award card is stamped – repros are silk screened.
4) Most repros do not have the horizontal check detector lever on the escalator.
5) Most repros do not have the verticle check detection lever on the mechanism.
6) Most repros have a perfectly smooth reproduction back door.

Snake Key For Mills Slot Machine Slider Lock

Conclusion
If you don’t mind owning a reproduction, understand that it has zero value as an antique! It is against eBay rules to sell reproduction machines. If eBay ever decides to enforce their own rules, you may be stuck with a machine that you cannot sell.