Autocount

Autocount, released in November 1933 by the A.B.T. Manufacturing Company of Chicago, is an early electro-mechanical game notable for its operator-friendly technology. Housed in a distinctive Art Deco cabinet and powered by six dry-cell batteries, it features an electric scorekeeper, a ticker-tape score printer, a game-terminating ball-on-pedestal tilt mechanism, and a horseshoe diverter on the playfield.

The score printer let operators verify collections and awards, and the coin mechanism includes a small window displaying the last coin played, so an operator could confirm no slug was used before paying out a prize. Originally selling for $75, Autocount was co-developed with the Pickrum-Weaver Corporation of New York City, which also served as its eastern distributor.

Autocount shared an interchangeable cabinet with A.B.T.'s Autobank and Autowhirl, letting an operator refresh a machine by purchasing only a new playfield. Its blend of electric scoring, anti-fraud features, and printed score records makes it a fascinating window into how early-1930s manufacturers courted the operators who were their real customers.