Lot 129: Scottish Automatic Shop Service Three-Column Cigarette Vending Machine
2 views
A tall, wall-mounted three-column mechanical cigarette vending machine constructed from painted steel with chrome-plated front panels. The upper section features a glass sign with the word CIGARETTES in block lettering. Each of the three dispensing columns includes an inset brand-specific lithographed label and a corresponding metal pull handle and coin mechanism. The top column is for Wills’s Capstan Cigarettes (one shilling), the middle for Player’s Navy Cut Cigarettes (sixpence), and the bottom for Wills’s Woodbine Cigarettes (twopence). The lower portion of the machine contains a second glass sign with a red and yellow graphic reading WE ARE PLEASED TO SERVE YOU OUTSIDE and SERVE TO PLEASE INSIDE. A rectangular metal label on the right side of the housing features a bulldog logo and reads SCOTTISH AUTOMATIC SHOP SERVICE 23 HADDINGTON PLACE EDINBURGH. The rear of the machine is reinforced with vertical wooden and metal slats. Three coin return slots are positioned to the right of the dispensing slides, one for each column.
Width: Approximately 16.5 inches
Height: Approximately 70.5 inches.
Condition report:
The maroon painted housing shows widespread wear, including areas of paint loss, flaking, and surface oxidation, particularly to the top and rear surfaces (photo 1, 9). The chrome-plated front panels exhibit surface scratching and light pitting throughout (photo 3). Both glass signage panels are intact; the lower panel shows minor fading and internal dust (photo 5). One metal surround is missing from the bottom coin return slot (photo 4). The internal mechanisms appear present, though the working status is unknown and no keys are provided.
Share this lot: