It sounds like this was a gambling model Symphonion. These models had
a mechanism behind the window that every so often would dispense a
token. It rarely paid out, based on a cycle of 50 or so.
I have had a couple of these in the past but they were Polyphons
(see Bowers' Encyclopedia, page 155, style 104P, lower left). I didn't
know Symphonion also made them. On the Polyphon a bell would ring when
the token or coin paid out, obviously not appropriate in a bell playing
Symphonion. Is it possible that the Symphonion mechanism is in a
Polyphon case?
Marty Roenigk
www.mechantiques.com
[ Darwin says the instrument is indeed a Symphonium movement in
[ a Polyphon case. Therefore the German slogan applies to the
[ Polyphon gambling model: "When the (coin) bell rings the coin
[ pops out." Maybe the original Polyphon movement wore out
[ from too much gambling! Also in the Encyclopedia, on page 230,
[ upper left, is a similar Symphonion style 132 coin-op instrument.
[ -- Robbie
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