Topper

Topper is a 1939 electro-mechanical pinball machine from Chicago Coin Machine Manufacturing Company, produced in a free play (replay) version alongside a separate novelty edition of the same game. As a flipperless, single-player machine, Topper reflects the design conventions of the late 1930s, well before flippers or electronic scoring existed.

Gameplay centers on 14 spring bumpers, four trap holes, and two captive balls, giving the machine a lively, mechanically driven playfield typical of its era. With roughly 1,702 units confirmed produced, Topper was a modestly successful title for Chicago Coin.

The game's theme celebrates dancing, pageantry, and women, an unconventional subject for a pinball backglass of the period. The specific designer is not documented, but some Topper backglasses carry the phrase "Made in The United States of America" in the lower right corner, a detail collectors use to help distinguish between production variants.