Mills Novelty Company Slot Machine Serial Numbers

The Mills Novelty would later go on to produce slot machines with wooden cabinets, rather than the original cast iron construction materials. When a specific combination of reel symbols resulted from a bet, the slot machine would empty its coin hopper of all coins as a prize. In 1916, another historic slot machine innovation created by the Mills Novelty Company was the jackpot. Besides Why Do Slot Machines Say Bar, there are a few other interesting historical items of interest. A Bit More HistoryĪs mentioned, slot machines have a very rich history, especially in their early days.

It is generally accepted that the bar symbol is a stylized image of a chewing gum pack, as well as a company logo.Īccording to some historical sources, however, the company having that logo may have been the Bell-Gum Fruit company.īar and fruit reel symbols are traditional (Slot Machines Say Bar). Less than a year later, Mills produced a new version of the Liberty Bell called either the Mills Liberty Bell or Operator Bell.ĭuring my review of the history of early slot machines, there are also suggestions the bar symbol may have another origin story. The second theory is Mills somehow “obtained” a Liberty Bell from a San Francisco saloon robbery in 1905. After all, Fey is known as the “Father of Slots” both for his invention of the coin-operated device as well as popularizing its use. First, that Fey cooperated with Mills to spread the use of slot machines. So, how did Mills get the design from Fey? There are two theories. Within gaming device circles of the time, it was well known that Charles Augustus Fey of San Francisco refused to sell or lease the design of his first coin-operated slot machine, the Liberty Bell, which he invented around 1887. Soon after, these photographs of a chewing gum pack were replaced with a stylized bar symbol. Mills added the photograph of a chewing gum pack along with the fruit reel symbols. This was quickly followed the next year by Mills Novelty Company of Chicago, recently inherited by Herbert Stephen Mills.

And, finally, then there are bar reel symbols.įruit reel symbols were first used in slot machine by the Industry Novelty Company in 1909. Fruits can include cherries, plums, oranges, lemons, and watermelons. Reel symbols are often traditional, including stars, bars, numbers, and various pictured fruits. When done spinning, the symbols shown lined up along pay lines are used to determine the payout, if any. Consequently, reels with symbols begin to spin. Find my podcast wherever you listen to audio! Bar Reel SymbolsĪ slot machine gambling device is activated by pulling a handle or pushing a button. This can only be done after coins, tokens, cash, or casino credits has been entered.

Mills Novelty Company Slot Machine Serial Numbers