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Hi,
Would someone be able to give me a rough date of manufacture for this allwin and some information about the manufacturer?
Cheers.

Hi,
Your game looks like a classic Jentzsch & Meerz German-made (Saxony) allwin from around the 1930s. They were imported into the UK in vast numbers, given Anglicized instruction cards and usually (like yours) stripped of the Reserve Ball feature.
Notice how similar the cabinet is to Gameswat's Jentzsch and Meerz Soccer.
For more info see Seven mysteries of the Saxony Allwin

Hi thanks for the reply and the information will have a look and check out the links
Cheers

Hello.

My name is Joerg and I live in Germany. Glad I found this forum.
Maybe I can find out more about my FiveWin-machine which looks like the one in the first post:






On the top right side of the case are two different serial numbers (6002,7915). Those numbers can also be found inside the machine on several places.
I also want to find out more about the manufacturer of this allwin. The mechanics doesn't seem to be created by Jentzsch & Meerz.
Maybe someone knows more about this kind of allwin

Thank you and best wishes,
Joerg

Hi Joerg ......

Welcome on board at last, we've all been waiting ages for you to join.
I'm no expert on Allwins, but yours has a similarity to a Saxon I once had.

Please post as many photos as you have, especially any that include your wife or girlfriend.

BP

Welcome Joerg,

Your post raises an interesting question regarding the two different numbers on the machine. The stamped number on the case would be the one created by the manufacturer. I can only assume that they numbered their cases (and machines) in sequence. The numbers would be important if the game payed out a token for a "win." The tokens would be numbered to match the machine, eliminating the possibility that a punter could just gather stray tokens and then cash them in with the local operator. It also allowed for another income stream for the manufacturer: selling additional numbered tokens.

The attached plate with another number is the question. Why would an operator feel the need to separately number their equipment? A requirement by the local taxing entity perhaps?

Anyone care to weigh in?

J Peterson
Over-taxed in America

In GB arcades it was common for arcades to number their machines in order to locate the keys for it. These were usually hanging in bunches from a long chain slung around the neck of a curmudgeonly old man who hated children and had perfected a facial expression that defined you were a liar.
Consequently when you approached him complaining that " ... hey mister, that there machine didn't pay out/swallowed my penny/is jammed" he would first launch his accusing face at you. If that didn't scare you off he'd clock the the number on the case, locate the right key and open it up. His next course of action was to start laying the back of his hand around the backs of all the little heads that immediately popped up trying to look inside to see how these marvellous machines worked.

BP

Thanks for the welcome
Both numbers can be found several times inside the machine and on the payout-cup:

Maybe it's an imported allwin and the first number is a serial-number from the manufacturer and the second one from the importer?
Cheers,
Joerg

Welcome from me too, Joerg.

As Badpenny says, the metal tag number would usually be a key number. Perhaps it would make sense to pencil it into the cabinet because the tag could be removed - although, if the cabinet was locked, that wouldn't be much help... The number stamped into the wood and inside the coin cup is certainly the manufacturer's machine serial number. Sometimes Jentzsch & Meerz also stamped "J & M" onto the back of the coin cup.

As you say, the mechanism looks unlike J & M so, assuming it's German-made (which I think it is), according to paulbohlmann that leaves Raimund Singewald, DEWAG, Fr. West Automatenbau und Vertrieb, West & Ludewig Automatenbau, Paul Schülke Automatenbau and TURA Automatenfabrik, amongst others as possible makers.

There is "W.B." stamped on the backside of the coin-slot:

There is also a stamping on the back of the payout-cup, but it's not readable. Maybe it's an early William Bryan machine?
As far as I know, Jentzsch & Meerz was the only maker of Allwins in Germany. Recently I was able to have a look at the old German magazine "Der Automat", which was published monthly between 1927 and 1943. This magazine contained a lot of pictures and drawings of old German machines, but I didn't found any pictures of an Allwin-style machine except the Elektro from J&M:

Re-reading paulbohlmann's post he does say that, as far as he knows, J&M were the only German company to build and export allwin-style machines. I don't think this can be quite right. I believe I have an early German allwin which is not theirs. I think the W.B. is very unlikely to be William Bryan but probably the initials of a German manufacturer (Wilhelm Büchel, Wilhelm Bolte... for example).