Clockwork mechanism, delivers a card indicating your fortune.

Clockwork mechanism.

Several versions of this 'over the barrels' game were made in Britain and France from the 1900s to the 1930s. The player's coin is launched over the barrels by a sprung trigger on the right of the case. If the coin drops into barrels 10, 20 or 30, it is returned; if it falls into barrel 50, it releases a catch, allowing the player to extract a '2D cigar' by pulling the knob on the left. Patents GB190019196 & GB189421756

Another revamp of the Challenger wall machine, this one is notable for the cast frame around the playfield, which allowed the operator to deal with the inevitable coin jams without having to lift out the mechanism and remove panes of glass. This modification was later rechristened the Shooting Star, with a new set of Art Deco castings.

Positively naive metal-cased wall machine. Drop a penny in the top right slot and watch it roll down the road. You have to press the button on the left, retracting the bottom track just as the penny passes over the 'coin return' column.

Coin-operated version of the popular fairground striker game. "Tap lever with palm to lift striker. Land on any metal - you strike lucky." Gold pays the jackpot.

Insert a penny to release a ball, which you shoot up the curved track whereupon it spins around the small loop at the top before descending through the pinfield, at which point you try to catch it with the moveable lion's head. A ball caught in the centre wins, allowing you to turn the knob for a check or token. A ball caught in the outer 'Reserve Cups' releases the reserve balls from the pocket, bottom right. These can then be fed to the striker for bonus play by turning the knob, bottom right. Patent GB191406789

One of several variations on the Challenger. In this instance, it's merely a name change, achieved by fastening the new name over the original casting.

This machine is on display at the Staffordshire County Museum, Shugborough Hall, Millford, Staffordshire.

Ten balls for a penny, the object is to direct them into the central column by skilful manipulation of the metal 'fingers'. Prizes for high scores (if offered) were paid manually by the venue.

Huge game which can be played from all six sides. Insert a coin and press the lever to drop a torpedo onto a target corresponding to the prize you want. The targets are set around the perimeter of the prizes and revolve continuously. The momentum of the torpedo hitting a target unlatches the trap beneath the prize and it is then drawn back up to the firing position by a motor.

Insert two pennies to start an electric pump which shoots balls upwards. Two players compete to catch as many balls as possible by manipulating the two brass nets. The winner gets to keep the returned coin when a timer ends the game.

Imitating the product's packaging, this elegant, tubular design was one of BMR's earliest.

This Jungle themed allwin has a layout almost identical to the Bryans Elevenses. Well-built, reliable mechanism, this one has a laminated and painted plywood cabinet, but it was also produced in solid wood.

The elaborate construction and "police box" style, complete with illuminating top-box, suggest a late '20s - early '30s date. The badge tells us it was made by the Caledonian Automatic Scale Co. Ltd. of Edinburgh, but unfortunately nothing is presently known about that company.

Brenner was one of several British companies that updated Jentzsch & Meerz Domino wall machines, giving them a new lease of life in the immediate post war period, when there was a demand for new games but no materials to make them. The dice and Edwardian players are replaced by drink symbols and the barrel motif. Unlike a standard one arm bandit, the three reels are independent, with each barrel winning 2D, allowing a maximum payout of 6D for three barrels.

An unconventional allwin with a central lose hole situated a few inches along the track from the single winning target. Great delicacy of touch is required to prevent the ball from overshooting the target as it quickly spirals inwards. As the name suggests, it's all or nothing, but the 12 penny prize for success is high. The spiral layout used on first generation allwins is revived to create a tantalising and fast game.

Six balls are released for a ha'penny to aim and fire at the white-necked bottles. Those that fall behind the bottles are returned to be fired again. Knock all six bottles down and the lever can be pulled for another game. The backdrop is hand-painted in oils.

The forerunner of BMCo's Gretna Green Smithy game. Insert a penny which falls to the anvil, strike the anvil with the hammer to catapult the coin towards the hearth. If it lands in the furnace, it is returned. Patent GB189923815

On this tallest of wall machines the object is to gain a high score by catching the ten balls as quickly as possible as they emerge from the top. If you fail to catch a ball in the first 'cup', you have three more chances. The game has good play value and makes a satisfying din as the balls descend. Players could compete against each other, or prizes could be offered for top scores. These were recorded by the dial at the top and the numbered channels below. The operator would zero the dial via a button atop the cabinet after paying a prize to prevent fraudulent repeat claims.

One of Oliver Whales' many sweet-paying allwins. The naive artwork suggests an early '50s date. The peppermint bar was worth 6D at the time, making it a tempting prospect.

Handsome, no-nonsense chocolate vending allwin from the Shefras stable. The top signs on these are screen printed on glass and could be backlit, but are therefore prone to damage or loss.

The gallery has four win positions, paying 2D, a second and third place, and one loser. Balls that land in second or third place remain in the corresponding pockets. As the instructions explain, a win with a ball in second place pays 4, and a win with a ball in second and third place pays 6. This simple progressive feature adds to the game's appeal, which appears to have been Wonders' best seller.

The jackpot became a ubiquitous player attraction of the one arm bandit, so attempts to incorporate it into the allwin were inevitable. This was not easy given the relatively high chance of hitting the target on an allwin compared to the low odds of getting three jackpot symbols to line up on a bandit. It is remarkable that this game with a gallery of eleven winning targets, can include a jackpot paying twelve coins. The gallery employs springy pins, like Bryan's Elevenses, and in fact offers a slightly less generous scheme than the Elevenses' highest award setting (2242262242). The central jackpot column swivels out of view and the coins are dumped to the payout cup. It then appears to refill. This is a crafty illusion - a coin slide pays the twelve coins and those in the jackpot remain there.

"No Columns To Fill... The columns are already Filled... One Ball Does It..." This is Wonders' cheeky attempt to better Ruffler & Walker's popular multi-ball allwins. It's really just a standard allwin pretending to be a multi-ball. It mimics the more complex, expensive games in scale, appearance and pay scheme and cleverly makes a virtue of the lack of any columns to fill. Usually there was a simple graphic over the chrome, representing the columns.

Three giant Wonders allwins employed this triple gallery arrangement, the other two being Big Wheel and Cannon Ball. Each win target pays 2D, but after a win on the top or middle galleries the ball re-emerges from a hole above the next gallery. This makes it possible to win 4 or 6 pennies as the ball makes its way down.

The football pools were not classed as gambling by the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act which defined them as competitions of skill, rather than chance. The air of legitimacy, combined with the low stakes, made it popular with those who would not otherwise gamble. As such, it was a common allwin theme, designed to attract players already familiar with the game. The ‘Penny Points’ coupon (so called because each line on the coupon cost a penny) was the most popular type until 1946, when the ‘Treble Chance’ was introduced. Oliver Whales used that theme too, together with Fixed Odds and Easy Perm. All cups pay 2D.

Confectionary rationing remained in force until 1953 (8 years after the war), making them a prized commodity. In response, allwins were introduced which paid out in sweets. Ruffler & Walker's version is well made with a solid oak case and adjustable sweet hopper to allow for any changes in product dimensions.

This upright bagatelle offers prolonged game play, the ball returning until it finds a target. The lower cup loses; the circles around it return the ball, and the upper circles and triangles win the coin back, with a turn of the handle. By changing the pay-slide the win cups could return slightly more than the original stake.

Guide your inserted coin from top to bottom by carefully tilting the horizontal tracks with the two levers. If the coin overshoots the end of a track you lose; if you reach the end, the coin is returned. Judging by the name casting, with 1p denomination, this Formica-clad vertical steer-a-coin game was made just after decimalization, although it resembles games of an earlier period.

When drink driving was considered unwise but legal, this simple mechanical device, sited in pubs and clubs, allowed you to gauge your inebriation.

Insert a coin, which is held by a gate at the top, and press the spring-loaded green button, which is then held in place by a rubber sucker. At this point a battery contact is made to illuminate a bulb, the previous coin played drops to the cash box and your coin drops below the gate to rest on a pin connected to the button mechanism. You then wait until the sucker loses its grip, puts out the lamp, rings a bell and releases the coin. The coin falls vertically and you have to press the red button as fast as you can. The coin is stopped dead as one side of the channel closes against it. Your reaction time is measured by how far the coin drops against a scale, indicating your stopping distance when travelling at 30 mph, with comments about your fitness to drive. If you are fast enough (within 21 feet) you get your coin back. Patent GB786414

The Bullion was the last all-mechanical incarnation of a type of gambling machine which predates the one arm bandit or three reeler. The first of the kind were large floor-standing, American-made games from before the turn of the century, with colourful roulette style wheels upon which you placed your bets. Later, less elaborate, counter-top versions (particularly the Caille Commercial) were common in British arcades, but were mostly worn out by the 1960s. With its five-way bets and robust, reliable mechanism, the Bullion filled a gap. The original Commercials had a maximum payout of 20D, against the Bullion's 12D (or 10p) which also introduced four no-win (zero) positions on the dial. The percentage returns were not bad though, thanks to the two twelve and three eight positions.

The unique selling point of this giant allwin was that it let the operator, without recourse to tools, rearrange the long metal tubes that served as cups on the three galleries, making it as liberal or stingy as desired. Black were losers and, depending upon the model, gold paid either 3 or 6, blue paid either 2 or 4 and red paid either 1 or 2.

Unusual, Formica-clad wall machine. Players drop coins over the pirate galleon, aiming to tip a loaded plank by selecting one of four slots. Coins bounce down over the pinned playfield and when an upper plank tips, coins roll off and spill to the ones below. In the ensuing cascade, excess coins fall to the payout cup.

Distributed by Ruffler & Walker

This metal cased game is a late example of the simple steer-a-coin type, brought up to date with a '60s driving theme and lamps to indicate the outcome. There is also a floor-standing version. It is believed that these were sometimes sited at motorway service stations.

Insert a penny and squeeze the handles together to see three bulbs illuminate revealing your romantic mood, lucky day of the week and sporting passion. Myers made several versions of these love tests in slightly different guises.

Several coin-operated versions of this simple skill game (familiar from garden fêtes etc.) were made by a number of manufacturers. Move the metal hoop over the wiggly wire, from right to left, being careful to avoid making contact between the two. Touching the wire sounds a buzzer and the coin is released to the machine's cash box. If you get to the end of the wire without incident, the coin is returned and a bell rings.

With its understated Art Deco appearance, this classic '30s over-sized wall machine remained popular into the 1960s. This was due in part, no doubt, to the ingenious way it hides its profiteering from the player. A win is obtained by using the faceted wheel to propel a coin into a full column, whereupon all those coins are delivered to the player. As the plaque says, "all coins which fall into the columns below will eventually be returned to the players". It would appear that you cannot lose. However, the coin that triggers the win falls to the machine's coffer, so it makes its profit the moment you make yours (when you're least likely to notice or care). Yellow columns paid 4, blue paid 5 and red 6. Many operators considered this scheme too generous and converted the centre column to lose. The layout of the pins makes every other column almost impossible to reach.

These robust, oak-cased games were a common sight in arcades of the '50s and '60s. Play is fast-paced as the two chrome manikins swivel on the spot, trying to fling the puck (ball) at each other's goals.

The musical movement behind this game was imported from the Polyphon Company of Leipzig, Germany to be built into a target shooting game. Insert one penny and a tune is played via the musical disc above, and the coin falls to the soldier's rifle. Turn the small knob to aim then pull back and release the plunger. If your penny goes through the slot in the centre of the target, it is returned via the chute on the left. Patent No. GB189825067

Like the BAC's large, metal, floor-standing 'platform' machines, this unit was rented to the shop/operator and remained the property of the Allied Chemical Co. Ltd. who were a subsidiary of BAC.