Mills Extrabell identified

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widget2k4
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Mills Extrabell identified

Post by widget2k4 »

I got my hands on this Mills machine and can't find any info about it. I have not seen one like it and wondered if anyone knows any history of it?
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wembleylion
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Re: any info on this mills machine ?

Post by wembleylion »

In Dieter Ladwig's book Slot Machines the machine is listed as a Mills Extrabell Aitkens Front and is dated 1946. It is a re-work of a pre-war machine due to war shortages and cost $77.50.

John
widget2k4
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Re: any info on this mills machine ?

Post by widget2k4 »

Thank you mate. :)
Wish it had cost me $77.50.
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daveslot
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Re: any info on this mills machine ?

Post by daveslot »

Most of these are fakes - new castings and award bibs have been available in the States for at least 20 years.
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Re: Any info on this Mills machine?

Post by widget2k4 »

I had my suspicions, similar to the fake Golden Nuggets I presume.
I know the mech and case is all genuine Mills, just been tarted up with a new casting, but did Mills actually make genuine castings of these or are they all just reproduction?
It does have "extra bell" raised in the castings on the inside.
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coppinpr
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Re: Any info on this Mills machine?

Post by coppinpr »

I think Mills made the original castings but that they were not "extra bell" special castings. I think the whole reason behind this machine (and a few others of the time) was to produce a new looking machine using lots of stock part with a few, new, small parts to tart them up into a new machine. This was due a shortage of raw materials at the end of WW2.
Having "extra bell" as part of the casting points, I'm afraid, to a copy casting. What do others think? :!?!:
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daveslot
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Re: Any info on this Mills machine?

Post by daveslot »

The original castings were not made by Mills but by the Extrabelle company who made them to tart up pre-war Mills machines just after the 2nd WW. I seem to remember reading about them in one of Dick Bueschel's excellent books. But the castings have been heavily copied recently.
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treefrog
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Re: Mills Extrabell identified

Post by treefrog »

I think the one on Ebay now is one of the fake one's. Brand new case, odd reel strips and escalator and lastly the handle is very long, often seen on the repro War Eagles etc.....

The description states bought from Powells, suspect Terrence Powell as they have them on the website http://www.tpg-uk.com/

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281608828179? ... EBIDX%3AIT
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treefrog
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Re: Mills Extrabell identified

Post by treefrog »

On eBay now, almost identical Extra Bell to the one I posted above and suspect a later repro with the Shefras escalator and extra long handle and award strips, eg there are no Melons on machine these are Sega.....

Seller believes original although does not mention Aitkens. At the Derby sale there were loads of castings there for sale, lots had issues and I was trying to establish from those in the know, what are original Aitkens castings and their markings as walked away still unclear !PUZZLED!

For me unlike the seller and many others, they are one of the ugliest bandits ever, but all in the eye of the beholder I guess......

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mills-Extra- ... SwfgRcCO5z
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pennymachines
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Re: Mills Extrabell identified

Post by pennymachines »

There's an informative 4 page thread about these at CoinOpCollectorForum.com including how to identify originals from later reproductions.
nvmos2 wrote:It is an Extrabell; a Mills revamp kit that was produced approx 1946 to 1951.
It was sold to operators of Mills machines to update their older Mills slots and the many revampers back in the day.
It was created by Everett Eckland, who previously worked for Mills and designed the War Eagle and Roman Head.

"Aitkens Front" is an incorrect name that has stuck to it.
"If you've ever read a printed description of this machine that states that it is the 'Aitkins Front' and suggests that only a hundred were made, you should know that this tale is a fabrication. The one possible element of truth here is that "Aitkins',
whoever that may be, might have been one of the kit buyers and revampers that didn't revamp as many of these machines as others did in the same period."
100 Collectible Slots, Vol 2, page 126
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treefrog
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Re: Mills Extrabell identified

Post by treefrog »

I have read this thread before and if you follow it you will find even more contradiction and confusion by those who at some point thought they knew the difference and were shown to be wrong.....what is clear is that many repro castings were done by people over the last 40 years. The one on eBay is 100% repro. Having Extrabell on castings or single cherry or double, old cabinet or new etc etc seems to be no assurance. Like the Golden Nugget this will go on I suspect.
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daveslot
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Re: Mills Extrabell identified

Post by daveslot »

I have just bought one of these off a chap who bought it off an operator in the 1970s. It was operating on 6d and had a 6d award badge screwed on top of the original 25c. The operator had also sawn off the front of the base so the winning coins fell into a large bowl !PUZZLED! so I'm presuming original. |/XX\|
The label on the back door is interesting - Jerry's Coin Repair went out of business in 1954, advert from the Billboard.
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gameswat
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Re: Mills Extrabell identified

Post by gameswat »

Copied from Unusual Cherry symbols on a Mills Exraordinary - Site Admin.

From "An Illustrated Price Guide to the 100 Most Collectible Slot Machines - Volume 2" by Richard Bueschel. 1979 copy.
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treefrog
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Re: Mills Extrabell identified

Post by treefrog »

People really do have money burning in their pockets, another one sold by a seller who had a few nice machines for sale in Stranraer, a Extrabell which I am 98% certain is a repro with new case and Hi Top handle sold for £2351 a couple of weeks ago on eBay :shock: or maybe knew what they were doing….
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coppinpr
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Re: Mills Extrabell identified

Post by coppinpr »

the buyer of this machine really does deserve to get ripped off. that is certainly the worst repro of an extra bell I've ever seen, and with a "golden nugget" award card !! That truly is a nasty machine
13rebel
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Re: Mills Extrabell identified

Post by 13rebel »

'Really does deserve to get ripped off''.....bit harsh isn't it?
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brigham
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Re: Mills Extrabell identified

Post by brigham »

13rebel wrote: Fri Mar 25, 2022 3:16 pm 'Really does deserve to get ripped off''.....bit harsh isn't it?
It's often a case of being cruel to be kind.
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Re: Mills Extrabell identified

Post by aristomatic »

Only x2 bidders over £1000
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coppinpr
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Re: Mills Extrabell identified

Post by coppinpr »

'Really does deserve to get ripped off''.....bit harsh isn't it?
I really don't think its any worse than saying the buyer has more money than sense, If I was spending over £2000 on a slot machine I would do all I could to make sure it was original (and you didn't have to look hard to see this is not ) on the other hand if the buyer already knew it was a copy then it was simply throwing money away.
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