Jubilee bandits origin & history

[pennymachines]

You are either clever or read papers and books 24 seven lol.

A search engine and the ability to type with one finger is all it takes nowadays to look clever!

Would it be true to say that Jubilee bandits are as well made as Aristocrat?

I can't offer an informed opinion but I thought this bit from Bob's history was interesting:

Lennis Ainsworth didn't like the way his clubs - when confronted with a choice of three machines - chose the Jubilee, Apex second on price and the Aristocrat coming a bad last.

[andydotp]

They could've all had Middlehurst Coronets.
( I'd post a photo but I emailed them to BP & he never sent them back.)
Sorry to harp on about my MIDDLEHURST CORONET , no shouting....,so
what's a 1d early Bryans Payramid worth now? I got twenty quid for mine and was dead chuffed.
Regards,
a.p

[chris rideout]

I don't believe the mechs are as bomb proof as Aristos and the cases of some are a bit plain in design but they do have some nice bits, the double jackpots for example.

The machine pictured looks like an early 1960s machine. Alternating jackpots won by 3 melons, bars, or 7s. The 7s were printed on top of the lemon, orange, bar in the same way as the Mills Hi Top machines. The 7s might have paid a special award token rather than a jackpot but I can't remember seeing one as I was still in junior school in those days. Andamuse in Andover (famous for the football tables) were suppliers of Jubilee machines in my area.

[operator bell]

I had the privilege of visiting the Aristocrat plant in Sydney, I guess about a dozen years ago now - it was the year the Concorde crashed, I remember reading about it in the Sydney newspapers. Anyway, Jubilee at that time existed as a division of Aristocrat. The Aristocrat factory reminded me of a 1960s Midlands industrial area - impressive stone facade, high windows, brick sheds, corrugated iron, all narrow streets and high walls. Jubilee was off site in a fairly small and cramped warehouse just up the road. It didn't manufacture anything under the Jubilee name, or indeed anything else at all. Its business was refurbishing used Aristocrat machines, mostly discontinued models, and selling/leasing them to route operators and small outfits. It had a very limited budget and the few guys working there clearly understood that Jubilee was the poor relation and they didn't have much job security.

[coppinpr]

I like the Jubs over the Aristos because they are easier to bring back to life. Not so much thin chrome and glass you can't find a replacement for. And, to be fair, they look the part when they are restored.

before

jub start.JPG (26.32 KiB) Viewed 4463 times

After

[malcymal]

I have to say mine has been very reliable and never failed other than the handle pump needing taken apart a couple of times. The jackpot mech doesn't fail and has a fascinating switching mechanism on it so when one pot is won it switches over in readiness for the second. Similarly the way it redirects 2 coins into the left pot then puts a gate over to direct 2 to the right is very clever.

It's the first machine I ever bought and still has its factory engineer check sticker inside and signed. It states 'standard' or 'club' with a tick box next to it. It is branded as 'Silver Jubilee' and considering it was made in 1963 it's held up very well and still in original paint. I don't think they are plain in design - I think this one is particularly striking, although cleaning that polished metal is a bit of a chore. The jackpot frontage is chrome and has lasted very well.

[coppinpr]

Mine (shown above) is the same Silver Jubilee model with the same silver reel strips. They seem to be identical ...except for one small detail.... Can you spot it?

[badpenny]

Different "Reserved" cover.

[aristomatic]

This pair were consecutive serial number machines.

[chris rideout]

... It is branded as 'Silver Jubilee' and considering it was made in 1963 it's held up very well and still in original paint. I don't think they are plain in design - I think this one is particularly striking, although cleaning that polished metal is a bit of a chore. The jackpot frontage is chrome and has lasted very well.

I zoomed the pictures and noticed that 7-7-7 pays "bonus" but what was it? A special award token, Mills fashion?

[malcymal]

The 777 payout is rather dull in that it pays just 10 coins as its bonus and this not even won by having 7s in any 27 way direction; whether this is unique to mine or across the board I cannot say. Considering it has the same odds as hitting three bars or melons (one 7 on each reel) then it's rather tight. There are mystery wins, I can't remember what they are 'cause my machine is tucked away in storage in the house but certainly orange melon bar pays 10. Overall it's quite a generous machine in its gameplay but ultimately it will suck your money dry.

[chris rideout]

The reel layouts are almost identical to the Mills EJ triple 7. I am fairly certain that your mystery payouts are as follows:
Orange Orange Melon
Orange Melon Orange
Orange Melon Melon
Orange Melon Bar
All pay 10 coins.

[badpenny]

Many may remember the early Jub twin j/pot at Coventry last November.
Most of the bandit lads commented on it as it had a viewing window over the coin gate and a coin return in the casting above the reels.
Anyhoo, it's now in pieces and awaiting 3 coats of looking at.
The reason for my post is, that inside the cabinet I found the original manufacturing label ……

Those in the know will see that K Nutt inspected the machine.
Ken was the son of Roy Nutt whom along with Sid Muddle started the company.
Roy described his son thus: - "Ken couldn't sell fish on Good Friday"
Quote lifted from here
So unlike his Dad who was a natural salesman Ken worked in the factory.

Badpenny

[badpenny]

Going back to the above bandit ………
Isn't it dead handy when investigating why a machine has dodgy pay outs you realise that your original thought "..... it's covered in so much dry grease I expect it's that" was only you fooling yourself?

A bit of delving reveals 5 clips covering holes in the first pay out disc, yet no symbols changed on the reel. Then having straightened that out, another day is enjoyed scrutinising the reel strips which have an eccentric randomness about their positioning.

What fun, and no mistaking …..

BP