Silver (Extended Play Prototype)

The Silver (Extended Play Prototype) is a one-of-a-kind experimental electro-mechanical machine built by D. Gottlieb & Company in 1957, based on their standard American West-themed release 'Silver,' designed by Wayne Neyens with artwork by Roy Parker. Rather than a catalog production, this was a factory test unit modified to explore an "Extended Play" payout scheme, and it carries its own model number (139B) distinct from the regular Silver run.

Mechanically, the machine features two flippers, four pop bumpers, two passive bumpers, two slingshots, two bullseye targets, two gobble holes, two rollover buttons, and a roto-target, with sound provided by two bells and a knocker. An extra "Delay Unit" stepper mechanism was added in the lower cabinet to manage the extended-play sequence, acting as a ball-count and reset trigger in place of a standard replay unit — the small window on the backglass that would normally show replay counts is instead labeled "Balls."

The American West theme carries Gottlieb's well-known tagline, "Amusement Pinballs, as American as Baseball and Hot Dogs!" As a unique factory test game rather than a mass-produced model, this Silver prototype offers a rare window into how Gottlieb experimented with payout mechanics during the 1950s, and only this single example is known to survive.