Thinking about inlaid chips, I came across this old demonstration plaque I obtained from Marion and Co when they were in NYC. They had gotten it from Atlantic Molding, their chip manufacturer. It should interest this Chip Board.

The rim mold used, seen in the last stage, is the Elephant and Crown mold (might be hard for you to see it). I believe that the chip material is soft like clay in the early stages. There is no coating or sealant put over the entire chip. The linen-like (cross hatching) texture of the chip, along with the embossed mold design, is determined in the final (5th) stage -- when the mold is pressed together, and heated, I guess. I imagine the circle seen in the early stages is just a target for the inlay; it is a very slight recession. The actual recession for the inlay is formed when everything is pressed together in the final (5th) stage. Note that there is no texture on the chip or on the inlay until the 5th stage. In all the earlier stages the chip is flat. In the 4th stage the inlay is perfectly flat, shiney and smooth -- like glass. .........I was told once that Marion owns the Elephant and Crown mold exclusively............ Anyone who wants to, chime in with added info.

Robert