"Pin-O-Skill"

"Pin-O-Skill", manufactured by the British American Novelty Company (trade name B.A.N.C.) of London in 1933, is an early Pure Mechanical (PM) pin table. As an early British entry in the coin-operated pin-table tradition, it offers a look at the game's roots as it moved from home bagatelle sets toward coin-operated play.

The gameplay of "Pin-O-Skill" is characterized by its use of 10 balls per old English penny. The presence of 17 trap holes and 2 free-play holes adds an element of strategy, as players must carefully plan their shots, while two out-hole troughs round out the layout. The example on record has had its legs removed, and its cabinet measures 84.5 cm long, 48.0 cm wide, 23.5 cm high in front and 27.5 cm high at the back.

While no specific theme is attributed to "Pin-O-Skill," and little information about its design or artistry survives, it remains a fascinating piece of history for collectors and historians, offering a glimpse into the game's formative years in Britain. The manufacturer, based at 49 Fetter Lane (previously 76 Ludgate Hill) in London, also produced amusement game tokens and a coin-operated arcade weighing scale.