Mills Bonus Horsehead 5 Cent Mechanical Slot Machine Rare Odds-Changing Mech

Offering for sale this rare and desirable Mills Horsehead BONUS 5 cent slot machine. This is a unique and rare version of the horsehead bonus that features ODDS-CHANGING REELS!

Mills designed this feature into their early BONUS mechanisms as a way of making it even harder for a player to win. It operates by shifting the stopping arms with each play, so that an alternate set of symbols line up in the pay window. This is particularly important for the first reel - which has the B O N U S letters. Those letters can only be "hit" on the even cycle of play, so even in the best case for a player, it would take 10 cycles to get the B O N U S to be hit (instead of 5).

There are several videos of this innovative design highlighted on YouTube - they show how the mechanism operates to alternate the stopping action. The tell-tale sign that this machine has the rare mechanism is in the award card: it pays 3 for 2-cherries, and then TEN (10) nickels for the next several award lines. Normally, the machine would be a 3-5 payout. The machine is in excellent operating condition overall and includes an old, but not original cash box, along with a brass MILLS lock and "squiggle" key.

It also has the original reel strips in excellent condition. The serial number tag is inside the case. And if you look carefully, it does match the serial number stamped onto the upper casting. However, at some point in its "life" - the machine had some numbers stamped over the original serial number. But if you look carefully, you can see that the original SN is, in fact, stamped in.

This dates the machine to 1937. Please view all photos and the video and reach out with any questions. Now - for the mandatory message.