Bryans and the Mystical 5

[badpenny]

I was sitting outside in the Hot Lincoln afternoon sunshine planning what to take to The Newark International Collectors' Fair next month now that I no longer have a monthly pay cheque to rely on.

I'd just dragged out my 1d. Bullion when Sally (it's interesting to see old familiar machines through the eyes of somebody new to them) peered at it then asked........
"So what was the meaning of 5 with this one then?"
Practising my finely honed skills at impressing and coaching people I carefully explained to her......
"Yer wot?"

I've spent years fiddling with Bullions getting the dial to stop squarely on a number instead of the line between them. Adjusting the payout so there's a sound chance it will actually payout the right amount instead of any old random number of coins. I didn't really think there was very much I didn't know about them, however ... 5?
Then she pointed out to me: -
The upturned pentagon framing the dial.
Five coin entries
Five sided back plate to the handle
The number 5, the five spotted symbol, more pentagons and Letter V that keep appearing in the casting that forms the frame.

Blinking like a rabbit in headlights I wondered why I'd never noticed before, so naturally I smiled knowingly at her nodded with a sly smile and invited her to think about it as I was sure she'd probably work it out.

In the meantime somebody ... anybody ... any ideas?

[JC]

That, old chap, is a damn good question (I've never noticed that either): a question that I doubt will ever be answered, given that Mr. Bryan (and his son) have both now passed on to that great arcade in the sky. I suspect it was no more than 'whimsy' on Mr. Bryan's part. With five coin entries, he perhaps just thought "let's give it a five theme". He was always keen to plaster castings with indentations (probably to cover-up rubbish castings and crap chrome) - I guess the 5 theme just made a change.

[coppinpr]

Because there are 5 different winning amounts perhaps?

[badpenny]

Thanks but I can't see either of those pieces of info being sufficient when it comes to satisfying Sally right click then open in new tab

So I guess it goes to be sold at Newark, the sooner it's out of her sight the best chance I have she'll forget my comment.

[john t peterson]

As Sigmund Freud once said, "Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar."

J Peterson
Your American Psychoanalyst

[bryans fan]

"If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck." -- SenatorJosephMcCarthy?, in a 1952 speech

bryans fan
Your English Cyclist

[pennymachines]

I thought the odd little shapes in the castings were produced by lazily grabbing the nearest selection of random tools, nuts, screws, etc. from the workbench and pressing them against the surface of the molds. But Sally is right, far from being random, there are five distinct symbols, all representing five: the 5 spotted shape, pentagon, 5, V and .
W.E. Bryan was either a Freemason, Satanist or Pagan cultist.

[badpenny]

Sally agrees with John and Sigmund regarding cigars. So that sorts out her birthday present then.