Sapho Penny Slot

[treefrog]

Came across the below Penny machine, the "Sapho" from a Bonhams auction from 2011....there was only 3 machines in the sale lot, two bandits and this. I must have missed the auction, but knowing Bonhams are not cheap on the charges front a sale of £336 including commission seems very cheap. Looking at a close up it has had woodworm, but still is a fine unusual machine. Not sure of the origin and could not find anything in my books, including Costa's....It says made in Saxony, but I know that does not prove anything. Also unusual game play based on Billiards, with different wins based on the cups you get or coloured balls. With Vouchers, Special Vouchers, Reserve ball accumulations and returned ball. Not sure what the vouchers would have been. Anyone seen one, know the maker......Good buy

[badpenny]

Superb looking machine with unusual name there TF.

Hard to imagine there is any connection but ......... This says Sapho Manufacturing Co. Viewer 1898
And this one says .... J. White Manufacturing Co., the Sapho maker, released 8 different machines under this trade name, starting in 1902.

Whilst a search on J.White manufacturing brings a machine called American Beauty and collectors willing to sell their grannies for one.

rememyJ

[pennymachines]

I inspected this machine at the Bonhams sale (Mechanical Music, Cameras & Scientific Items, 17 May 2011 - see Arena) and concluded at the time that the front door, at least, was new. It's impossible to judge from the photos, but at close quarters, it didn't have the evident age and patina of the playfield parts. A good effort though. I remember wondering if the aforementioned traces of woodworm on the outer cabinet mouldings were simulated with a sharp implement.

[treefrog]

Ah so it is.... you're right about the woodworm, it is odd as it is only on the edges, nowhere on the front or sides.... Do you know anything about this machine? I notice there is no lock on the front and the handle on the top of the front looks very similar to the cheap 30s furniture handles you get on chest of drawers.... Looks an interesting game though and wonder what the voucher pay is - I assume a token through the bottom left...

[pennymachines]

Do you know anything about this machine?

No, but comparing it to the Heureka (generally considered the first ancestor of the allwin), I think it may be the earliest allwin I've seen to adopt the classic open spiral track layout. It's evidently pre WWI and, I imagine, like Heureka, made in Germany (as the instruction card declares).
I suspect the cashbox space at the bottom of Sapho's cabinet is not original.

I notice there is no lock on the front and the handle on the top of the front looks very similar to the cheap 30s furniture handles you get on chest of drawers....

That was another reason for supposing the door was remade - there was no hole where the lock would have fitted and the "cheap 30s furniture handle" was screwed straight into the wood.

Looks an interesting game though and wonder what the voucher pay is - I assume a token through the bottom left...

Yes, 'voucher' was just another term for 'token' or 'check'. The big target is the yellow SPECIAL VOUCHER at the top (between the two blue LOST cups), which appears to have delivered the high value voucher while releasing any balls in the reserve. Two pink VOUCHER cups in the row below offer a lower value voucher, plus the release of any balls in the reserve. The two white BILLIARD cups, in the same row, drop the ball over three pins from where it either falls into a blue LOST cup or returns to the hammer for a replay. Also on this row are two blue LOST cups and a central green RESERVE cup which feeds to the reserve channel below (holding up to 5 balls).

As you say, an interesting game.

[daveslot]

I inspected this machine at the Bonhams sale (Mechanical Music, Cameras & Scientific Items, 17 May 2011 - see Arena) and concluded at the time that the front door, at least, was new. It's impossible to judge from the photos, but at close quarters, it didn't have the evident age and patina of the playfield parts. A good effort though. I remember wondering if the aforementioned traces of woodworm on the outer cabinet mouldings were simulated with a sharp implement.

Total boll**ks , did you forget your glasses? The case was all original just some previous owner had applied thin ply to hide all the woodworm. I removed the offending stuff and discovered it had previously been veneered in a quarter cut style which I tried to replicate. The playfield looks to be untouched, the art work is original and looks as though it's always been there. The mech also remains untouched with no sign of any alteration. I would conclude this a very original machine and not just a good effort!

[pennymachines]

Hi Dave,

If I'd remembered you'd acquired it, I might have been more circumspect...

Can I have an upgrade to half bollocks?
"I concluded at the time that the front door, at least, was new. It's impossible to judge from the photos, but at close quarters, it didn't have the evident age and patina of the playfield parts."
So the playfield is original, as I said, and although the front door wasn't completely new, the front of it was! That explains the plywood finish and lack of a hole on the front for the lock barrel. I was wrong about the simulated worm and the "good effort". It was rather a poor effort. Still, by mucking about with it, the previous owner frightened off some bids, which kept the price down for you!

Sounds like you've made a nice job of it, Dave. Do you have any post-restoration photos?

[treefrog]

Daveslot, it would be good to see the finished result and looks like a cracking buy