Q: We have an antique nickel slot machine that's 8 1/2 by 7 by 8 inches. It is marked with two 1933 patent dates, one on May 9 and one on May 16. Can you tell us who made it and what it's worth?

 

A: Your little machine is called a "vest-pocket nickel slot machine," even though it's much too large to fit in a vest pocket. It was meant to sit on a desk or table. It was made by Mills Novelty Co. of Chicago in about 1938. Mills was one of the largest U.S. manufacturers of coin-operated machines. The May 9 patent was for a coin slide for vending machines. The second patent was for a device that prevented the machine from operating unless the correct coin was inserted into the slide. A slot machine like yours sold for $330 at a 2013 auction.