Pico Crown

The Pico Crown, manufactured by the International Playboard Company of Kansas City, Missouri in April 1932, is an early Pure Mechanical (PM) tabletop pinball machine from the game's formative years, predating the electromechanical era that would come to dominate the industry.

Like other counter games of its time, the Pico Crown let players enjoy 10 balls for 5 cents on a whiffle-board style playfield. It was advertised as made of beautifully carved walnut, measuring 20 inches long, 15 1/2 inches wide, 6 3/4 inches high in front, and 8 1/4 inches high in back, and could be purchased with or without revolving swivel legs.

Little information survives regarding the machine's theme, art, or designer, but its walnut construction and carved detailing speak to the craftsmanship typical of counter-game manufacturers in this era. The Pico Crown remains a small but well-preserved example of the tabletop pinball format that was popular in the early 1930s.