LAS VEGAS, NV.- Morphy’s hit the jackpot over the weekend of May 1-3 in Las Vegas, with a $3.7 million auction of antique coin-ops, gambling machines and advertising. Leading the parade of beautifully preserved gaming rarities was a Caille Peerless 5-cent floor roulette slot machine in spectacular original condition. Described as “one of, if not the best example known,” the richly embellished nickel-on-oak device set a new world auction record for a slot machine when it cashed out at $300,000, well above its pre-auction estimate of $200,000-$250,000. All prices quoted include 20% buyer’s premium.

“We expected there would be a lot of competition for that particular machine,” said Morphy Auctions president and founder, Dan Morphy. “It had everything going for it and was a connoisseur’s piece. Whenever an item comes up with such originality and such a beautiful patina, it draws the attention of the most serious of collectors.”

An imposing 70-inch-tall deluxe model Mills Duplex upright slot machine made in 1899 retained its colorful original tin wheel, and like the Caille Peerless, was one of the best preserved of all known survivors. Against an estimate of $80,000-$100,000, it confidently rang up a winning bid of $108,000.

Made around 1901, a Caille Black Cat musical upright slot machine finished just below its high estimate, at $98,000; while another Caille production – a 5-cent Lion slot machine with original mint-condition wheel and glass settled within its estimate range at $66,000.

An exotic-looking 1905 Multiphone music machine, known as the world’s first “selective automatic jukebox,” was designed to play any of 24 selections from Edison cylinder records. With its extravagantly carved and decorated Art Nouveau upright case, it was just as much a work of art as it was a music source. It ended its bidding run with an above-estimate selling price of $65,000.

There was plenty of retro sports action going on beneath the glass window of a 1937 Rock-Ola 5-cent World Series baseball game. Encased in an oak console and with an All-Star roster on the diamond, the 5-cent machine knocked it out of the park with a $60,000 winning bid.

Another sports-themed amusement machine, “Trophy Golf” paid its winners by dispensing golf balls through the front of its cabinet. Estimated at $15,000-$20,000, it commanded an impressive $30,000 top bid. Another favorite of a similar nature was a circa-1936 Superior 25-cent slot machine stocked with golf ball prizes. The 65-inch-tall three-reeler finished in the green at $36,000.

Exhibiting graceful Art Deco lines and a quintessential 1920s/’30s color scheme of black with silver and tangerine accents, a Pace 5-cent “Roll-Ette” roulette slot machine nearly doubled its high estimate at $57,000.

Other highlights including a circa-1912 Caille Silver Cup 5-cent slot machine, $47,000; a Mills 5-cent Little Scarab roulette trade stimulator, $35,000; and an Esco Cuckoo-Clock 1-cent strength tester arcade game, $34,000.

Peter Sidlow, president of Morphy Auctions Las Vegas, said the event attracted a large and motivated crowd of 250 to 300 people, many of them new customers. “The phones and Internet were very busy, as well,” Sidlow said. “I don’t have the final figures, but I would say 35 to 40 percent of the sale sold to online bidders. Everything went as smooth as silk, and both the buyers and consignors were very happy.”

Dan Morphy added: “Our May coin-op auction in Las Vegas was a huge success for Morphy’s. We broke many records and showed what we’re capable of achieving when it comes to auctioning antique gambling, coin-op and penny arcade machines. The sale also gave us the opportunity to show why last year’s merger of Victorian Casino Auctions and Morphy’s has been nothing but a welcomed move, both by consignors and customers. From the quality of the catalog’s design and descriptions to the marketing and execution of the sale, everything contributed to what was undeniably a first-class production.”