(Operators Piano Company catalogue illustration.)

Coinola Keyboard Piano Style A. with piano and mandolin attachment. This early Operators coin piano was introduced circa 1913. The case is of quartered oak. The instrument plays the standardized 65-note type "A" music roll, with the roll mechanism and pump mounted below the keyboard,

(Operators Piano Company catalogue illustration.)

Interior view of a Coinola Keyboard Piano Style A. Above the keyboard is the piano action, and just above the piano hammers is the mandolin rail or curtain. Further down, barely peeking over the fallboard, is the partially visible pneumatic stack, which appears to be an early style made by the Marquette Piano Company. And so the coin piano illustrated here was possibly assembled before Operators began building a stack of their own design, and/or before the company had used up their stock of Marquette parts. Below the keyboard at left is an early version of Operators' "four-way rotary" vacuum pump, and at far right is the roll mechanism, which, for the Style A, plays the standardized 65-note type "A" music roll,

(Operators Piano Company catalogue illustration.)

Coinola Keyboard Style A-F Solo Flute Piano, with piano, mandolin attachment, and a rank of 24 open wood solo flute pipes. Introduced circa 1913, the case is a typical golden quartered oak wood finish. The instrument plays the solo "O" music roll. The roll mechanism and pump are located below the keyboard, and the pipework is above the keyboard and are partially visible through the clear portions of the art glass panels.

(Operators Piano Company catalogue illustration.)

Coinola Keyboard Piano Style A2. with piano and mandolin attachment. The case is of quartered oak and fitted with colorful opalescent art glass panels. The instrument plays the standardized 65-note type "A" music roll. The roll mechanism and pump are above the keyboard behind art glass panels.

(Operators Piano Company catalogue illustration.)

Coinola Keyless Piano Style B. with piano and mandolin attachment. Introduced in 1914, the case is of quartered oak and tastefully embellished with wood carvings and stained glass. It is keyless but with an interior otherwise similar to the Style A2. The instrument uses the C 88-note Expression music roll. The roll mechanism and pump are above the keyboard. This odd piano was only marketed for a short time, and resembled a keyboard style piano with the keyboard cover closed, but it was nonetheless keyless.

(Catalogue image courtesy of Dana Johnson.)

Coinola Cabinet Player. Introduced in 1914, this was not a piano, but rather a coin operated accessory that could be clamped onto any simple upright keyboard piano. And it was relatively inexpensive, portable, and easily installed, turning an otherwise "dead" piano into a useful moneymaker! The Player consisted of a compact rectangular box, embellished with wood carvings and stained glass, that contained an electric motor, vacuum pump, roll mechanism, coin mechanism, and pneumatic stack that actuated a row of mechanical fingers that contacted and artistically played the piano keys. It could be equipped to use the standardized type A music roll or the type C 88-note Expression music roll.

(Catalogue image courtesy of Dana Johnson.)

Coinola Cabinet Orchestrion. Embellished with simple wood carvings, this push-up piano player turns a simple upright keyboard piano into a usefully profitable coin operated orchestrion. Introduced in 1914, the Cabinet Orchestrion was popular enough to be marketed into the 1920s. The top part contained a motor, pump, roll mechanism, and pneumatic stack, similarly to the Coinola Cabinet Player. Instrumentation within the bottom part of the case consisted of Saxola Pipe Tone Reeds (harmonium), a 24-note set of reiterating steel orchestra bells, a bass drum with cymbal, snare drum (with both tap and roll beaters), triangle, and Indian block. The Cabinet Orchestrion used the solo "O" music roll.

(Operators Piano Company catalogue illustration.)

Coinola Keyboard Piano Style C Regular. Stylistically, it was a massive art design case of figured oak veneer in Mission finish. First available circa 1914, the instrument featured a piano with mandolin attachment, and played a standardized 65-note type "A" music roll. There were several variations offering more extensive instrumentation. When extra instruments were added they were installed above the keyboard behind the art glass, and the roll mechanism and pump were located below the keyboard.

The Style C-X included a 24-note xylophone with vibrating pneumatics, and utilized the solo "O" music roll.

The Style C-F included a 24-note rank of wooden solo flute pipes, and utilized the solo "O" music roll.

(Operators Piano Company catalogue illustration.)

Coinola Keyboard Piano Style C2. It also made use of a "massive quartered oak veneered Mission finish case," with the upper access doors adorned with beautiful scenic opalescent art glass panels. Inside was the usual piano with mandolin attachment, plus 24 open wood solo flute pipes, snare drum, bass drum, and cymbal, and it played the standard solo "O" music roll. The roll mechanism and pump are above the keyboard, behind the two front access doors that swing outward from the outside edge. And as with other keyboard piano styles, there were variations that offered different instrumentation:

The Style C-K had the same case, but the instrumentation was piano, mandolin and a 24-note rank of wooden solo flute pipes, using the solo "O" music roll.

The Style C Reproducing Piano also used the same case, but only piano and mandolin, using the C 88-note Expression music roll.

(Operators Piano Company catalogue illustration.)

Coinola Keyboard Piano Style C-K. Topside is the piano, mandolin attachment, pneumatic stack, the combination pressure/vacuum pump, and the roll mechanism that plays a solo "O" music roll. Below the keyboard are two ranks of pipes: 24 metal violin pipes and immediately behind are 24 open wooden solo flutes. In many of the later built Coinola instruments it was customary to put the pump and roll frame above the keyboard, which made it very easy and convenient to change music rolls.

(Operators Piano Company catalogue illustration.)

Coinola Keyboard Piano Style D, the "Semi-Orchestrion." It made its debut in 1914. Illustrated in a quartered oak veneered Mission finish case, the upper art glass emblazoned doors provide easy access to the music roll mechanism and pump. Musically it has a piano with mandolin attachment, and below the keyboard is trapwork consisting of a snare drum, bass drum and cymbal. It uses the standard solo "O" music roll.

(Operators Piano Company catalogue illustration.)

Interior view of a Coinola Keyboard Piano Style D. In the top section is the piano action with mandolin attachment, which is located behind the vacuum pump and roll mechanism. The four little on-off knobs at the top of the roll frame are for controlling various musical effects, such as quieting the bass drum or the snare drum. Notice that the snare drum has two separate beaters. The center (and longer) one is reiterating, which means that as long as an extended perforation is over the tracker bar hole for this function the drum action will continue to operate, producing a drum roll effect. The shorter beater is single stroke only, producing a distinctive drum tap. This piano "semi-orchestrion" uses the standard solo "O" music roll.

(Operators Piano Company catalogue illustration.)

Coinola Keyboard Piano Style J, with piano and mandolin attachment. The case is of quartered oak lamps and a single art glass panel. Also entering the marketplace circa 1914, the Style J regular plays the standardized 65-note type "A" music roll. In this piano the roll mechanism and pump are in the bottom—below the keyboard.

Like many other keyboard models, there are often several variations, each with different extra instrumentation. The Style J regular plays 65-note standardized music rolls, while the Style J Reproducing instrument, with piano and mandolin attachment, plays the C 88-note Expression Music roll.

The Style JX has the usual piano with mandolin attachment, but also a 24-note xylophone with "vibrating pneumatics," and plays the solo "O" music roll.

The Style JF has the expected piano with mandolin attachment, but also a 24-note rank of wooden flutes, and also plays the solo "O" music roll.

The Style JK has piano with mandolin attachment, plus a 24-note rank of metal violin pipes, and behind it a 24-note rank of solo wood flutes. The instrument plays the solo "O" music roll.

(Operators Piano Company catalogue illustration.)

Coinola Keyboard Piano Style X, which made its debut circa 1914. This orchestrion had the fundamental piano with mandolin attachment, and originally was fitted with a 24-note set of reiterating orchestra bells. After about 1920 it was normally shipped with a 24-note xylophone, Other instrumentation included snare drum, bass drum, tympani effect, cymbal, triangle, and wood block. The case is of quartered oak in a Mission finish. Lighted lamps and two amber colored "eyebrow" art glass panels grace the front of the piano case. The instrument plays the standard type solo "O" music roll. The roll mechanism and pump are above the keyboard, and all of the extra instrumentation is located below the keyboard in the bottom of the piano.

(Operators Piano Company catalogue illustration.)

Interior view of a Coinola Keyboard Piano Style X. The Coinola Style X was one of the more popular Coinola pianos of its day due to its compact nature and the relatively extensive instrumentation crammed inside the case. Of course it had the usual piano with mandolin attachment, and in front was the required vacuum pump and roll frame tubed to play the standard type solo "O" music roll. In this illustration there is a 24-note set of reiterating orchestra bells installed below the keyboard. The trapwork included (from left to right) a two-beater tympani effect, bass drum with cymbal, triangle, a wood block, and a snare drum with both tap and roll beaters.

(Operators Piano Company catalogue illustration.)

Coinola Keyboard Piano Style K, which made its debut in late 1916. The case is of quartered oak with two art glass panels that feature an artistic dancing girl motif. The instrument plays the standard type solo "O" music roll. The roll mechanism and pump are above the keyboard behind art glass panels. Below the keyboard in the bottom of the piano are two 24-note ranks, in front a metal violin rank and immediately behind it an open wooden solo flute rank.

(Operators Piano Company catalogue illustration.)

Coinola Midget Cabinet Piano, Style A. with piano and mandolin attachment. The"midget" was introduced circa 1916 (with some variations introduced later), This small piano plays the standardized 65-note type "A" music roll. The roll mechanism and vacuum pump are located in the bottom half of the instrument. 61-note Haddorff pianos were used in early Midgets that played “A” rolls, and a few early O-roll Midgets, but later Midgets exclusively used 66-note pianos.

The Coinola Midget Cabinet Piano, Style X, has piano, a mandolin attachment, and a 24-note xylophone in the top portions of the case.

The Coinola Midget Cabinet Piano, Style K-F, has piano, a mandolin attachment, and a 24-note rank of wooden flute pipes in the top portions of the case.

The Coinola Midget Cabinet Piano, Style K-V, has piano, a mandolin attachment, and a 24-note rank of metal violin pipes in the top portions of the case.

And there was Coinola Midget Orchestrion with the roll mechanism and pump at the top, and with a snare drum, bass drum with cymbal, a triangle, and a wood block with their activating mechanisms mounted on the case floor. The Midget Orchestrion used the solo "O" music roll.

(Operators Piano Company catalogue illustration.)

Interior view of a Coinola Midget Cabinet Piano, Style X. The interior of this cute little coin piano is quite simple. At bottom left is the vacuum pump, and up a bit and to the right is the roll frame, which is designed to play the standardized 65-note type "A" music roll. At the top is a 24-note reiterating xylophone, and behind it the piano action and mandolin attachment.

(Catalogue image courtesy of Dana Johnson.)

Coinola Midget Auto Organ, Style O. This odd coin piano, introduced circa 1918, consisted of an upright piano with 37 open flute pipes and 12 stopped diapason pipes located under the keyboard. It used the “OS” Organ Series rolls that had been introduced two years earlier for use on the piano-based Reproduco Player Pipe Organs. The pipework on the facade was non-functional and only for show. This piano was essentially a musically simpler version of the Standard Reproduco, and judging from its extreme rarity today it was apparently offered for only a brief period of time.

(Operators Piano Company catalogue illustration.)

Coinola Cupid Cabinet Piano, introduced in 1921, and later renamed the Tiny Coinola, had only a basic 54-note piano with a mandolin attachment. This cute little and very compact piano plays the standardized 65-note type "A" music roll. The roll mechanism is in the top of the instrument in front of the piano action. The vacuum pump is in the bottom,

(Operators Piano Company catalogue illustration.)

Coinola Keyboard Piano Style CO—an orchestrion of unusual merit. It was sometimes called the “Big Coinola,” and was introduced circa 1919. This tall keyboard style orchestrion has piano, a mandolin attachment, 24 open flute pipes, a 24-note xylophone, snare drum, bass drum, tympani effect, cymbal, triangle, and wood block. The catalogue states that the pipes are enclosed in a "special sound chamber, thereby beautifying the tones." The case is of quartered oak in a Mission finish. Adorning the case are two hanging brass lamps, and three large art glass panels. The instrument plays the standard type solo "O" music roll. The roll mechanism and pump are below the keyboard. All of the extra instrumentation is located above the keyboard behind the beautiful art glass decor.

(Operators Piano Company catalogue illustration.)

Interior view of a Coinola Keyboard Piano Style CO. In this tall and imposing keyboard orchestrion, the combination pressure/vacuum pump and roll mechanism are back down under the keyboard, where they are somewhat inconvenient when it comes to changing music rolls—they being the standard type solo "O" music roll. Above the keyboard is the standard piano action with mandolin attachment. In front of it is a 24-note reiterating xylophone. On the upper trapwork shelf (from left to right) is the two beater tympani effect, bass drum with cymbal, triangle, wood block, and a snare drum with tap and roll effects. At the lower edge of the drum shelf are two sets of on-off control knobs—three knobs on the left side and six on the right side. These are used to shut off various musical effects if so desired.

(Operators Piano Company catalogue illustration.)

Coinola Cabinet Piano Style SO—an orchestrion of beauty, character and stability. Sometimes called the "Super Orchestrion" in some advertising, this imposing orchestrion was the top of the Operators Piano Company coin-operated lineup. Introduced in 1920, it unfortunately generated little market excitement, probably because the use of large and relatively expensive cabinet orchestrions had given way to the small, compact and much less costly cabinet pianos. This impressive looking orchestrion featured a piano, mandolin attachment, 24 metal violin pipes, 24 wooden flute pipes, a 24-note xylophone, snare drum, bass drum, tympani effect, cymbal, triangle, wood block, and a 15 inch Chinese crash cymbal, equipped with an automatic swell for expression. The case is of quarter sawn oak. Adorning the case are two sets of small display pipes and three art glass panels. The instrument plays the standard type solo "O" music roll. The roll mechanism and pump are mounted on the floor of the case, with all of the musical instrumentation filling the interior directly above.

(Operators Piano Company catalogue illustration.)

Internal view of a Coinola Cabinet Piano Style SO. The layout of various components mimics the layout of the tall keyboard Coinola Style CO orchestrion. The pump and roll mechanism are mounted at the bottom of the case, along the top of the roll frame are twelve on-off control knobs used to disable certain musical effects. This Coinola "super orchestrion" plays the standard type solo "O" music roll. In addition to the piano with mandolin attachment, and about half-way up, is a 24-note reiterating xylophone. On the upper trapwork shelf (from left to right) is a two-beater tympani effect, bass drum with cymbal, triangle, wood block, snare drum with tap and roll effects, and at far right a 15 inch Chinese crash cymbal. Behind the trapwork are 24 metal violin pipes, and directly behind them are 24 wooden open flute pipes,