Electra Amuser

[daveslot]

I have had a couple of these and I always thought they were an English conversion on a French machine - the mech and front hardware are typically French. I have incidentally seen the ball gallery on another classic English machine which was converted to shock.

[pennymachines]

Monarch Automatic Co. (London) were in business from 1909 into the '30's and apparently were involved in "electrifying" Saxony allwins amongst other things. In which case, the basic machine may have been imported from Germany and rigged with the shock feature to make it "more legal" in Britain.

Nic Costa (in the Costa-Haskell Collection catalogue) attributes the game to the appropriately named Electra Manufacturing Company of London. He gives a date around 1910. Now it's possible that this company was part of Monarch Automatic Co. exploiting the Electra side of the business. Either way, I think the period of manufacture and the style favour the German import theory. Is the case fruitwood or oak? Fruitwood points to France, oak to Germany.

The GB19108433 patent refers to the electric shock feature filed by William Haydon & Albert E Catt in 1911, so although this doesn't help identify the origin of the allwin, it ties up with the Monarch Auto Co. (of which Albert Catt became proprietor).

Compare it to Giudo's wall machine which has the same central casting.

[daveslot]

Here's a pic of said machine.

[daveslot]

Here's the pic.

[silverbullet]

Did these machines use a small 18MM token? I have a Brass token that has :
MONARCH-AUTO CO. the back has 2.

Any information will be appreciated.

THX-SB

[JC]

Does your token look like this? These are standard allwin tokens, which typically were numbered '1', although higher numbers were used among the '1s', as can be seen in this picture.

[arrgee]

This reserve shocker appeared on ebay, similar style case although playfield different.

The sign in the centre reads 'Electricity Amusement Only' !!!

Looks as if the token slot has been covered up by metal plate.

[pennymachines]

Did these machines use a small 18MM token? I have a Brass token that has :
MONARCH-AUTO CO. the back has 2.

Yes. The above allwin looks like a German (Saxony) Reserve Ball version.

[treefrog]

Another shocker up at auction at Bellmans on Friday, http://www.bellmans.co.uk/Bellmans_Cata ... ?SaleID=50
Looks pretty nice, except the cup looks incomplete. Very low estimate, .A Victorian fair-ground amusement game; 'Electricity and Amusement Only', patent applied for, housed in pine and mahogany case, 64.5 cm by 50.5 cm by 19 cm.
Also an unusual Automaton - An automatomaton clockwork advertising figure, early 20th Century, modelled as a sailor smoking a pipe. The head and hands papier mache, raised on a wooden plinth base (figure 82 cm).Illustrated

...apologies if this should be under auction, but following previous thread

[john t peterson]

The estimate of 130-150 certainly is low. It may reflect the auction house's state of knowledge concerning these type of machines or it could be their knowledge of what is missing inside the game. It appears to be a French reserve ball game to which an electric shocker has been added. And then maybe subtracted. The two holes in the front of the cabinet are where the "handles" should be if the shocker portion were functional. This is in addition to the missing pay-cup. If I were at the auction, I would certainly want to see the interior of this machine. It could be the steal of the show or a heartache for the unsuspecting. Either way, it's going to sell for more than 150 GBP.

[malcymal(offline)]

That figure looks like Parker ("yes me lady") from Thunderbirds who has fallen on bad times...

[classicgambler]

Topic merged - site admin.

Hello guys, has anyone got a video or any information on how this was operated please - the game play basically.

Any help please, thank you.

[classicgambler]

Anyone please???

[slotalot]

Hi
is it just the Electra Amuser you want to know about? as there were many other games of this kind that worked along the same lines.

[classicgambler]

Yes, just the Electra Amuser please.

[slotalot]

Hi, sorry to get your hopes up,
I can give you details of how to produce the electric shock, but not info on that particular machine...

[jimmy55]

I can give you details of how to produce the electric shock, but not info on that particular machine...

Be Afraid!

[pennymachines]

I still don't understand what you're asking, classicgambler. You say you want to know about the game play of the Electra Amuser - it plays just like any other allwin reserve. Is it specifically the electric shock feature you want information about? Do you have a picture of the machine in question?

I've appended your post to an earlier thread about the Electra Amuser.

[classicgambler]

Sorry for that, I didn't know there were so many of them out there. I must research more often on the said machine. It is the Allwin Reserve type one I'm after but since the admin has merged the topic and I have seen the pictures now and just wondered how it worked with the ball play such as the winning and losing holes and the graphics too.

Thanks anyway.

[bryans fan]

These are pictures that I found on the web a few years ago. So I can`t help myself, but the pictures may help.