Welcome to the group Dog.
It's hard to identify your panel as being a light up, here they have a frame holding in a plexi-glass panel.
The main difference I notice with your machine is the module next to the coin mechanism with the coin tubes in it. Do you know it's function yet?
Like I said, the Panel at the top front is metal with painted logo. I've never seen V56's here in Australia with a light up panel. Have seen V63's with light panels though.
Yes I do know the tubes function.. That was one of the main differences I was going to go into in the appropriate section, as this is the estimated values section. Quickly though, its a change giver. The coin mech has a cable this change giver plugs into via its own cable, and it dispenses 1 cent, 2 cent, and 5 cent pieces back when Cokes cost 20-50 cents etc. I think they stopped using it before these models were pulled out of service, and they set it it become exact change machines. None of the American machines have never had anything like it.
Oh, here is something else that may affect the value of my machine. Apparently Coca Cola Amatil here in Australia never sell any of their old machines. Just use them for spare parts and scrap the rest. I know however that Coke employees used the shells to make standard shelve fridges for their work rooms or for others, and that some of these machines were taken home by employees instead of them being junked, and many of both these types have been sold later on.
It seems Coke will sometimes check sites like Ebay and Gumtree to see if any Coke machines listed online (either more modern machines or vintage) are one of their old ones. More modern machines can be checked via their serial numbers to see if it was a Coke owned or Operator owned (sold direct from manufacturer like Dixie Narco to someone other than Coke to run it). Vintage machines are checked to see if they have Red interiors. If they do, then it was a Coke owned machine. If its black, blue, white or any other color, then it was operator owned.
Coke will then tell the owner of a ex-coke machine that they still own the machine, and that they have to surrender it, or they will take legal action. Again, I know damn well most of the vintage glass bottle AUSTRALIAN machines still found in partial or complete form all came from current or ex/retired Coke employees originally. The first I heard about this was last night on a forum here in Australia. This is why so few of these machines still exist, either partially or completely.
Frankly, plenty of Australian machines have been sold online over the years, but Coke only seem to check online listings rarely. The machine I bought had been listed online on Gumtree.com.au for about 5 years, and no one said boo to the previous owner. I am not sure if Coke would go after a machine this old, as it seems its also about preventing private operators from competing with CokeVending by siting can machines in places like offices or sports clubs etc, and deprive coke of full vending sale prices by having the operator stock it from a supermarket
EDIT: Oh, and thanks for the welcome. Nice to talk with people who know the area better than I do
