I would hope that more members of CC & GTCC will take a moment over the next few days to send their individual letters to the Federal Trade Commission. Please; do it now ... it is very important to all of us in this great hobby.

It's in YOUR best interest as consumers to secure these revised provisions to the Hobby Protection Act. Those individuals who are engaged in manufacturing this stuff are not club members and could care less about this impending legislation. We only have a month remaining to register our legitimate concerns while this window of opportunity remains open. Don't wait until it's too late after that window closes on May 2nd. Don't leave it up to others to be an activist on this issue.

Numbers are what polititians respect ... the higher the number ... the higher the respect.

April 2, 2003

Federal Trade Commission
Bureau of Consumer Protection
Division of Enforcement
Attn: Mr. Neil Blickman
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580
Dear Mr. Blickman:

I am writing as an Honorary Life Member (HLM-001) and as the Founding President of the Casino Chips & Gaming Tokens Collectors Club (1988-1999), which is the largest member club of the American Numismatic Association. Our 2800 member international organization has a great stake in the updating of additional legislation to the Hobby Protection Act that is currently under review.

While I personally belive that casino chips and gaming tokens are solidly related to the numismatic hobby … inasmuch as chips and gaming tokens ARE substitutes for money and is readily exchanged for U.S. money … unlike many tokens and medals which are NOT acceptable as substitutes or exchanged for money, yet are presently included under protections afforded in the current Hobby Protection Act, while casino chips and gaming tokens apparently are not.

Inasmuch as legalized gaming is proliferating throughout these United States as more and more gaming jurisdictions are opening up annually, I would urge the FTC to specifically consider identifying legitimate items such as casino chips and gaming tokens under the newly revised legislation falling under the HPA review.
There have been several recent abuses within our hobby where individuals have been engaged in modifying existing casino chips and creating imitation or non-genuine casino chips for re-sale to an unsuspecting public and to chip collectors throughout this country. A law that would mandate marking these non-genuine pieces with “copy” would go a long way to deter those who are currently engaged in this misleading activity … and would also discourge those who are contemplating getting involved in this deceptive practice.

I join with the current CC & GTCC President, Mr. Nate Pincus, in requesting that the Hobby Protection Act be amended to add the words "casino chips, casino tokens" to Section 304.1(f). The last line of that section would then read "Such term includes coins, tokens, paper money, casino chips, gaming tokens, and commemorative medals."

Thank you for your consideration. Please feel free to contact me with any questions at the address above, by telephone at 732 458-8827 or by email at ablack2@optonline.net

Very truly yours,

Archie Black HLM-001
Founding Past President, CC & GTCC