1967 Ainsworth Aristocrat Slot Machine - "Minty's"
I acquired this nickel slot machine back in January and briefly mentioned it in a post about an Arrangeball machine, but I thought I should be more respectful and create a separate post about it should someone wish to research the machine at a future date.
I found the machine at an estate sale - the owner was an older gentleman who had an impressive collection of about 150 old wooden radios, and each one had been carefully restored to "like new" condition both inside and out - every single one of his radios worked 100%!! He really knew his way around vacuum tubes, EM relays and resistors!! Anyhow, according to his son he had acquired this slot machine in non-working condition and spent several months going through everything learning about how it worked, and he was eventually able to fix it and get it working again. He then went several steps further and documented all of the circuitry, every change/repair he made, labeled every EM relay, switch and plug, and then researched the entire history of the machine starting with when it was built, who sold/bought it, and the entire chain of history, which he documented it in great detail. His work is very impressive, to say the least.
When I bought the machine it was located in the basement of his home and it probably weighs about 250 lbs. It was a tremendous challenge for two of us getting up the stairs and into my van - it's awkward doesn't really have any good places to grip - but we eventually managed. It came with about $40 in nickels, a framed information sheet that includes a brief summary of the machines history, and a cool 1950's era stool. I later discovered a manila envelope inside the machine that included all of the typed research and hand drawn schematics he created for the machine, as well as a few spare parts.
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The machine was built in September of 1967 by Ainsworth Consolidated Industries of New South Whales, Australia as their "Golden Gate" model. It was purchased shortly after from a distributor out of London by The Mint Casino in Las Vegas, which operated as "The Mint" until the casino was acquired in 1988 by it's next door neighbor, the Horseshoe Casino. Upon delivery of the machine, The Mint changed the belly glass and reel stickers to brand the machine for their casino. "Minty's" was the nickname for the casino, and a mascot/character was created to fit the nickname (as seen on the front of the machine). As far as he could tell, this particular slot machine was placed into service October or November 1967 and was decommissioned sometime in 1972. From there it was sold to the person he bought it from, who played it until it stopped working, then put it into storage until 1997.
As I mentioned above, the machine works as if it were brand new! The operation is smooth, the payout counter works, and there is even a bell on the back that rings when you reach a payout that is over $1. Also, you can flip the switch on the front of the machine to illuminate the attendant call light on top.
The machine will only pay out maximum of 20 nickels regardless of the amount won, and and if the player is due more money the bell on the back starts ringing. It is believed that the bell would signal the casino attendant and he/she would come over and pay the rest of the winnings to the player either in cash or script, since a $10 (or higher) jackpot would most certainly drain the machine.
I have spent many hours playing the machine since I bought it and have had a lot of fun. I have also had the pleasure of hitting the $100 jackpot at least once!!
Jackpot!.jpg
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