Queen of Diamonds

The Queen of Diamonds, manufactured by Gottlieb in June 1959, is an electro-mechanical (EM) single-player pinball machine designed by Wayne Neyens with artwork by Roy Parker. By 1959, flippers had long been standard equipment in pinball, having been introduced over a decade earlier, so Queen of Diamonds is better understood as a solid, well-crafted example of Gottlieb's mature EM design rather than an early flipper pioneer.

The game's primary objective is to accumulate points by hitting ten standup targets, along with three gobble holes and four pop bumpers, all defended by two slingshots. A distinctive touch is its set of eight stationary ball guides shaped like flippers, adding visual flair to the playfield layout, which Gottlieb reused the following year for its 1960 title World Beauties, which shares the same playfield layout and ruleset.

The Queen of Diamonds' design and artwork reflect its 1950s roots, built around a playing-card theme that was a popular motif of the era. The backglass carries Gottlieb's well-known slogan, 'Amusement Pinballs, as American as Baseball and Hot Dogs!' With 1,700 units produced, it remains a solid representative of Gottlieb's card-themed machines from the late 1950s.