Mills Vest Pocket Slot Machine 1940s

This is what has been hailed as probably the worlds smallest slot machine. Mills Vest Pocket circa 1938-1952 produced by the Mills Novelty Company in the U.S. These tiny machines were made for the intention of having a true gambling device that did not "look" like a slot machine on it's outside appearance, but inside that toaster sized box is a fully functional 5¢ mechanical slot machine that pays out!! In the event of a police raid, the operator simply had to "flip" the top award card over which would hide the 3 reels, and payout card making this look like a radio, or gumball machine. It could easily be quickly picked up and placed on a shelf under the counter where no one would suspect it being a gambling device. These simple slot machines operate on a single coin. Put a nickel in the coin slot, push the lever in, and then as you pull the lever back out, the reels are activated. If the reels stop on a winning combination as indicated on the award card, the winnings are dispensed to the coin box at the front of the machine which is concealed by a flap. The top payout for your 5¢ investment was 20 coins ($1.00) which was a lot of money in 1938 for a 5¢ gamble. This Mills is in great working condition, and all original with exception to the back door lock which has been replaced. I read somewhere in my research that only about one in thirty that were produced were this Chrome model which makes this a bit rarer than some. This unit also has a jackpot counter on the mech inside which shows that the "Jackpot" (3 Bell Fruits) has been won 249 times.