The entertainment is free and you might hit the jackpot at Morphy’s Oct. 17-19 Coin-Op & Antique Advertising Auction in Las Vegas
Featured: Hupfeld Phonoliszt-Violina Model A music machine, $250K-$500K, 1904 Caille Bros. 5¢ floor-model Roulette slot machine, $150K-$300K, fortune tellers, arcade machines, 825 advertising signs
LAS VEGAS – There will be no shortage of accomplished entertainers at Morphy’s Oct. 17-19 Coin-Op & Antique Advertising Auction in Las Vegas. A world-class lineup of European antique music machines is waiting in the wings to thrill auction guests with bravo-worthy performances rivaling famed orchestras and musicians of a century ago. Those who cannot attend the event in person are invited to bid absentee, by phone or live online through Morphy’s bidding platform.
Leading the A-list lineup is a circa-1912 Hupfeld Phonoliszt-Violina Model “A,” which is regarded as the most successful automatic violin and piano-playing machine ever made and one of the most spectacular of all music machines. Its complex mechanisms reproduce violin expression, bowing, vibrato, staccato, etc., as well as piano expression, replicating the technique of highly accomplished pianists. Restored in 1986 and again in 2014, it was acquired in 2012 by its present owner from Sanfilippo Place de la Musique in historic Barrington, Illinois. Jasper Sanfilippo obtained the unit in 1983 from a restaurant in France. Its auction estimate is $250,000-$500,000.
Another musical wonder, a Coinola Model SO Super Orchestrion is one of approximately 50 manufactured circa 1920 by the Operators Piano Company of Chicago. Its “orchestra” includes an 88-note piano (78 notes play automatically), a mandolin, violin and flute pipes; drums, a cymbal and other smaller percussion instruments. It is designed to plays 10-tune “O” rolls. Marketed at the start of the Prohibition Era, its original owner is reputed to have been a Chicago mobster. Restored twice, in 1986 and again in 2015, it is ready to grace a new collection and is estimated at $100,000-$200,000.
Also ready to step into the spotlight is a circa-1920 Mills Deluxe Violano-Virtuoso comprised of two violins that play elegantly and simultaneously. Housed in a Brazilian mahogany cabinet, this unit underwent a scrupulous 36-month restoration in which no small detail was spared. The U S Government designated the Violano-Virtuoso as “one of the greatest scientific inventions of the age,” and this fine example is a functional testament to that distinction. Estimate: $40,000-$70,000
Extremely rare and sought after, a circa-1895 Symphonion No. 38B Eroica 3-disc music box with clock was made by Symphonion Musikwerke of Leipzig, Germany. Housed in a Lenzkirch oak hall-clock case, it plays 14-inch discs in sets of three across six individual combs. Estimate: $40,000-$70,000
A circa-1890 French musical automaton picture clock with music box is as artful as it is scientifically precise. It depicts what appears to be the Crystal Palace, which was built in 1851 in London’s Hyde Park to house the “Great Exhibition.” Its three-dimensional diorama painting shows die-cut horses and jockeys in the foreground, and the Revel clock with a near-perfect porcelain dial is adorned by flowering vines. In excellent condition, this stunning piece is estimated at $12,000-$30,000.
Front and center amongst the 145 rare slot machines is a circa-1904 Caille Bros. Roulette 5¢ floor-model slot with a 7-way roulette wheel payout. Housed in a rare Honduran mahogany cabinet with ornate copper-flashed and plated iron castings, this desirable machine has been fully restored and is one of the finest examples Morphy’s antique coin-op experts have ever seen. Since the 1990s, it has been held in a private collection. It now comes to auction with a $150,000-$300,000 estimate.
A 1912 Caille Bros “Tourist” cast-iron slot machine shows off intricate castings and has its original “country” reel and back door. The unit is fun to play. The user deposits a nickel, pulls the handle, and if the “winning country” comes up, the machine pays out. In remarkable untouched condition with a great patina, it even retains its proper key. Estimate: $40,000-$60,000
Bidders wondering if it will be their lucky day at the auction might want to consult a circa-1891 Roover Bros. Donkey Wonder floor-model fortune teller machine. One of only three or four original machines of its type known to exist, the auction example retains its original “lady” equine fortune teller, who moves her head from side to side, scans the audience and flips her baton to spin the wheel of fortune. It operates by clockwork and is electrified only for the specific purpose of illuminating the cabinet section. The auction estimate is $40,000-$70,000.
Another clairvoyant who will be on hand to predict the future is Princess Doraldina, who holds court behind the glass of a circa-1918 5¢ fortune-telling machine. Manufactured in Rochester, NY, it is one of few surviving examples. The wax figure of the mystical princess moves its head and arm, selects a fortune and dispenses it on a card. An older restoration, this machine is in excellent working order and comes with a supply of both original and reproduction fortune cards. Estimate: $30,000-$50,000
Both baseball fans and collectors of arcade machine are expected to step up to the plate for a circa-1948 “Bat A Score” arcade machine with great-looking baseball graphics. Made by H.C. Evans, Chicago, the unit has been beautifully restored, inside and out. Animated manikin figures of a pitcher and batter, plus a stationary catcher, are on the interior field. When a nickel is dropped into the slot, a player gets 10 pitches, with the goal being to hit the steel ball into one of the five rear levels. In perfect order and retaining its keys, this American classic is expected to drive home a $20,000-$40,000 winning bid.
When it’s snack time at the auction, bidders can imagine what it might have been like to enjoy a freshly popped treat from a circa-1905 Cretors (Chicago) Model D horse-drawn popcorn wagon. Extensively restored to a very high standard, its beveled, cobalt blue flash-cut and chipped-glass signage says HOT BUTTERED POPCORN and IT’S SOOOO GOOD. The spotless interior is just as nice as the exterior, and is finished in red with oak trim, and fitted with metal drawers, counter, etc. Measuring 12½ feet in length, the Cretors wagon will roll across the auction block with an estimate of $15,000-$30,000.
Another lot that serves up tasty turn-of-the-century nostalgia is a Royal #5 coffee roaster made around 1910 by A J Deer Co of Hornell, New York. Complete with its load hopper and cooling pan on the original cast-nickel-trimmed base, this roaster has been restored in a Planters Peanut roaster motif. A sizable 88 inches long by 65 inches high, it could inspire a winning bid of $20,000-$40,000.
An attractive circa-1880 carved and painted Native American cigar store figure attributed to Samuel Robb stands 50 inches high (70 inclusive of stand). Its original polychrome palette shows no signs of touch-up paint or restoration. Originally, the figure would have held a spear in the right hand and a bunch of tobacco in the left hand. Its auction estimate is $20,000-$40,000.
As any collector will attest, antiques know no national boundaries as they pass from one pair of hands to the next over decades or centuries of ownership. One can only speculate about the journey one particular sign in the October auction might have taken before now. It is a massive 17ft by 4ft reverse-painted half-moon glass sign that advertises DEANE & ADAMS / PURVEYOR OF MILITARY ANTIQUITIES / WAR DEPARTMENTS & RULERS OF INDIA / ALL THE PRINCIPAL COLONIES SUPPLIED. It displays the British Royal Arms, the motto of the British Monarch – Dieu et mon droit (God and my right) – and the royal warrant (endorsement) tagline: GUN MAKER TO THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD. Whether it remains in the United States, returns to its country of origin (England) or ends up in some other distant locale remains a question mark until auction day, when it will be offered with a $16,000-$25,000 estimate.
The Oct. 17-19, 2024 auction will be held live at Morphy’s satellite gallery located at 4520 Arville St., #1, Las Vegas, Nevada 89103. Start time is 9am Pacific time (12 noon Eastern time). Preview Monday through Wednesday, Oct. 14-16 from 9am-4pm local time; or on auction days from 8-9am. All forms of remote bidding will be available, including absentee, by phone (please reserve line in advance), or live via the Internet through Morphy Live. For condition reports or other questions, call tollfree 877-968-8880 or email [email protected]. Online: https://www.morphyauctions.com.
