"Corinthian" Abbey

The "Corinthian" Abbey, manufactured in 1951 by Witzig's Limited of England, is a pure mechanical (PM) cue-game bagatelle for a single player. Rather than a plunger or flippers, it uses a small cue stick to shoot steel balls into metal scoring cups — a tabletop mechanism more akin to a parlor game than later coin-operated pinball.

The cabinet is compact, measuring 30 by 15 inches, with two pieces of wood attached to the back to angle the playfield. This simple construction suggests a game built for casual home or pub amusement rather than heavy commercial arcade use.

Little is documented about the "Corinthian" Abbey's designer, artwork, or original marketing, and its rarity today is unclear. Nonetheless, as a British cue-game bagatelle from the early 1950s, it offers an interesting contrast to the electromechanical pinball machines that were becoming standard in the United States during the same period.