...thousands of blanks out there which could be used to produce chips which are deceptive fakes.

HOWEVER, the HPA wouldn't necessarily apply to all such chips. It is a violation of the act only if the fake "purports to be, but in fact is not, an
original numismatic item or which is a reproduction, copy, or counterfeit of an
original numismatic item."

In short, unless the fake looks exactly like a REAL, original numismatic item, it is not a violation of the HPA to produce it. It may be plain old ordinary fraud to pass off as real a chip which is not. BUT, if the fake doesn't purport to be the real thing, the HPA would not apply.

Thus, even if the act covers casino chips, a fake chip with an exact hot stamp match (which, it seems to me, would require professional manufacture to produce) but on a blank of a color never used by the real casino, would not violate the HPA. On an exact match on the right color blank but with inserts that were never used would not violate the HPA. Or a chip produced in a denomination never used in the real casino would not violate the HPA.

Fakes on a mold never used in the real casino would not violate the act (e.g., as I understand it, most of the Borlands). The dated Borlands would not violate the act (no real chip ever having had the closing date of the casino on it).

So, Gene, while there may be many opportunities for crooks to rip off the unsuspecting, it seems to me that the HPA won't provide much protection against such rip offs. ----- jim o\-S