Fifty Grand

The Fifty Grand pinball machine, manufactured by Genco Manufacturing Company in May 1936, is an early electro-mechanical (EM) machine from the formative years of the pinball industry. It offered flexible play options for operators: single-coin play or 1-to-5 multiple-coin play, letting players purchase up to five balls for 5 cents.

The cabinet was advertised at 47 inches long by 22 1/2 inches wide, a modest footprint typical of machines from this era. As an early EM game, Fifty Grand would have relied on simple mechanical scoring elements rather than the flippers and ramps found in later pinball designs, since flippers were not introduced until more than a decade later.

Little specific information survives about Fifty Grand's artwork or theme, consistent with many games of this period that prioritized straightforward gameplay mechanics over elaborate presentation. It remains a representative example of Genco's early output during the company's long run as a Chicago pinball manufacturer.