Well, Welcome!

I'm generally a know, nothing about chips. I've just been collecting a long time and have limited myself to pretty much common items, anything that attracts my attention, Wisconsin and Elko, NV.

I guess after seeing the same discussion year after year, I wrongfully assumed that everyone knew about many of the common reproductions, fantasy chips, home play, or "commemorative" chips. I simply call them all Faux Chips. Before I joined the club I bought some Casino de Ithmus City $500's because I had no clue that Paulson was already making home play chips for 39c each, and selling them over the counter. (this is also sold on eBay as James Bond Movie Prop, which is impossible to attribute)

The first time I saw the chips with open and close dates, was when Casino Player Mag. offered a free $1,000 chip with a subscription in the early 90's. Of course they had open and closing dates. (a sure tip, but as you have pointed out, not absolute)

About Nevada mold, yes it's real. Last count I saw was in TCR 6 page 311. "Nevada, special use 101, general use 164, total 265." So yes they were used in real casinos. But one of the molds that Bill Borland happened to own, and used for his reproductions and fakes, was Nevada mold.

There are probably more old chips surfacing now than in the past, because more people know about collecting and more chip hunters are beating the bushes for old chips. If Doug Siato ever gets his site up and running, he is one of the Kings of chasing down old casinos, owners and chips. He also writes great stories of his trips and is very careful to be accurate with information. (kind of like real science, some people like attribution based on facts, not a profitable guess.)

My quiz was sarcastic humor. I figure if a chip dummy like me would spot this a mile away, how would someone brighter and more active, who owns the latest TCR, get fooled? (call me suspicious?)

But most of all, chip collecting is fun, so have fun. That's and order!

The two below are one of a kind that a friend brought back from Paraguay. She had to beg them to let her leave the casino with chips for a collector. Value? Probably not much, because no demand. So I leave it with that tidbit.