Original reference photography from the Cola Machines archive. Select any image to inspect the machine, mechanisms, identification plates, and restoration details.
This reference catalog documents 11 Mills machines. Surviving model records include production information spanning 1938 to 1953. Model-specific archive photography survives for 10 of the 11 entries.
This profile combines preserved company background with evidence from the individual machine records. Dates and model counts refer to documented examples in this collection, not an assertion that the catalog is complete.
Mills company history
Preserved background
Archive documentation notes that Mills was the worlds largest manufacturer of coin-operated machines.
Their coin-operated machines spanned some sixty-four years starting back in 1889 until closing in 1953. Mills produced Coca-Cola's first stand-up dry vendor in 1935. You'll notice Mills machines were highly sophisticated in design and didn't require any manual operation such as a pull lever, crank handle, or knob to turn. Another note about Mills was they built their own refrigeration units so the units used weren't of inferior design! Mills was unequalled in both design and workmanship. Below is an excerpt that supresedes my comment on Mills closing the doors in 1953: "In November 1955, Mills Industries, Inc. announced a coin-operated vending machine, developed jointly with H. J. Heinz Company, that would dispense a tin can of hot food (one of a selection of six soups or dinners), a can opener, and a spoon. The cans were maintained a constant temperature of 150 degrees Fahrenheit (65 °C). The machine was intended for use in factories or large offices, and the company claimed that it was a first of a kind in the United States. "
What the machine archive shows
Evidence by model and date
The dated archive currently runs from Mills 47 A/B ("A"-1938 – 1940; "B"-1941 – 1945) through Mills 65 (1947 – 1953). It contains 11 model records, 11 with recorded production dates and 10 with surviving model-specific photography.
The documented production footprint is distributed across 1930s (3), 1940s (8). These totals describe this archive—not necessarily the company’s complete output—and will change if additional period records are recovered.
Mills machines
11 model records
Mills photo archive
3 general collection photos
Research note: Profile scope is 11 archived machine records. Company background was independently restated from the site’s preserved manufacturer overview; view the archived source. Dates, photographs, and model counts come from the linked records. Where the preserved evidence is incomplete, the page says so instead of filling gaps with conjecture.