Silver King

Silver King, manufactured by Automat Games Company of Chicago in 1935, is a pure mechanical (PM) pinball machine, predating not only electromechanical (EM) scoring but also flippers, which were not introduced to pinball until 1947. Its existence reflects the earliest, formative years of coin-operated pinball manufacturing in the United States.

Gameplay on Silver King would have relied entirely on mechanical elements — plungers, pins, and gravity — with no player-controlled flippers or slingshots to redirect the ball once released. This raw, tactile experience is characteristic of pinball's earliest era, before players had any way to actively influence the ball's path beyond the initial launch.

Little specific information survives today about Silver King's design, art, or theme, which is typical for machines from this very early and often poorly-documented period. Despite the lack of detailed knowledge, it remains an interesting artifact for collectors and historians researching the earliest days of pinball, prior to the introduction of flippers.