look at this postcard on Andy's Nevada Casino Chips website:

http://www.nevadacasinochips.com/Postcards.htm

The "ships wheel" must be the flasher wheel that Mark Erickson mentioned. The wheel is divided into 8 sections, one says "1¢" one is just "¢" and I can't read the rest of 'em (tho' one starts with "FA...."). The card is from 1939. It looks like there's 4 yellow ?lights or reflectors? on the edge of each segment of the wheel, and a red one on each "spoke".

BTW, no, I'm NOT seeing that on Andy's card! I have one like it...