On first glance, the dome-shaped item looked like an antique version of a roulette wheel. It had the trademark numbers encircling the edges, but it was missing the red and black stripes radiating from the center.
Attached flat against the surface was an array of figures, including a jockey on a horse, a hen, a rabbit, a dog and a rooster (identified as a cock), along with the winning odds of 18 to 1. Between each number were dividers for giving it a whirl with your finger to get the wheel a-turning. The entire piece was mounted on a wooden board.
I found nothing on the piece that identified it by name, but it was obviously a game of chance. I could not figure out, though, how the disparate figures fit together. It was different because it was made of metal and not the customary wood of most roulette wheels.
What kind of roulette wheel was it, I wondered. My auction buddy Janet surmised that it was a card game that matched up with the animals.
I could find nothing like it on the web, although I did come across a lot of antique roulette and carnival wheels of chance. One unusual wheel with small round half discs on the surface was being sold as folk art. I also found plenty of race-horse gaming wheels – wagering on horses seems to be a long-time pastime – with jockeys astride their horses. Board and card games of this type, according to one site, have been around since the late 1890s.
I can only assume that the game was played like any other game of chance: You bet on the chicken or the dog or the jockey, and made a wager. What seemed to be missing was the arm or piece that stopped on the numbers around the rim. That made me wonder if the game had been affixed to the board because it was no longer workable and had been hung on a wall as decoration.
The piece was a popular item at auction, and the auctioneer matter-of-factly called it out as a roulette wheel. The bidding began at a hefty $150 on an auction day where antique and vintage cameras were starting off at much much less. This gaming board had its share of admirers, and several went tit-for-tat for a chance to take it home.
Several people in the room apparently recognized its value beneath the dusty chrome. By the time the bidding was over, this game of chance had sold for $275.
Was it a bargain? Maybe so, especially since it’s apparently one that’s not easy to find. If you recognize it and know its history, please drop me a line to fill me in on it.
