Gold Coast

The Gold Coast, crafted by the J. P. Seeburg Corporation of Chicago in February 1932, is a relic from the dawn of the coin-op marble game era. A pure mechanical (PM) machine, it offered players 10 balls for 5 cents and featured nine gobble holes on its playfield. Measuring an advertised 41 inches long, 21 inches wide, and 39 inches high, it is a compact and intriguing piece of history from Seeburg's brief 1932 foray into the field.

Far from plain, the game was a visual showpiece. A period ad in Automatic Age described it as "A RIOT of Color," with black ebony-like trim, a striking gold bed, hole pockets in red, white, blue, yellow, orange, brown, green, orchid, and black, and colored marbles in beautiful contrast. Amusingly, the same ad declared it "NOT A PINGAME," a bit of early marketing hair-splitting from an era when the category was still being defined.

Surviving examples carry other small mysteries; one pictured machine bears a plaque referencing a distributor, The Marquette Music Company. As one of the earliest examples of its kind, the Gold Coast offers a unique opportunity to appreciate the colorful, humble beginnings of a beloved pastime.