Here is a lengthier piece of writing I did on the Sands and its Chips pre 1970 when I acquired my first (and put of my budget) Sands chip. I posted it on Facebook a while ago but I thought some might be interested here and can correct or contribute to the research I did. When I get around to joining the club someday I would likely send this in to the magazine so you may someday see it again! Many of you probably know the information but nonetheless I think it makes for an interesting history. I would love to be able to do more things like this in the future

The Sands: a troubled chip history

For such an important and prestigious hotel and casino, the Sands certainly had a problematic relationship with the chips it purchased. In 1956 the Sands returned its green and pink $25 chip. This chip likely saw minimal play, if any. This run of chips, along with a $5 and $100 were ordered on 8-30-56, dispatched 10-31-56 with replacement $25 chips (green with brown) being delivered on 12-19-56. The $5 from this run was returned and replaced in early 1957. The returned $5 and $25 (as well as the $100 from the same run) chips were later sold at the TR King factory in the 1990s - $300 for the set. In 1959 the Sands had a similar experience. The entire 1st run of its cowgirl series was returned (they were deemed “not satisfactory”) and replaced with a different colour scheme.

This introduces another interesting tidbit about the Sands at this time which is its inlay designs. The earliest runs of Sands chips were unique, both the first and second editions had unique designs. The Sands then settled on its sunburst design from 1953 to 1959 before it replaced the sunburst design with its cowgirl design. Interestingly the Sands had a few types of cowgirl inlay, with the subtle difference being the cowgirl surrounded by either stars, hearts or clubs (see thechipguide for specific photos).

But it would not be a Sands chip story without some further unusualness. The Sands from 1962 returned to its sunburst design (and TR King). This run was pulled after a year. In 1963, this bright yellow $5 chip was manufactured by Christy and Jones. This chip, unlike other editions hitherto, would not be replaced so soon and lasted until 1969 when it was replaced with the HNO series of chips. This would likely explain both the varying conditions of surviving chips and the sheer number of them available. These were on the tables for longer, and far more were likely pocketed as poor man souvenirs. Funnily enough, the Sands from 1964 introduced a $1 chip as well, but this was once again a unique inlay design bearing some vague similarity to the cowgirl design sans the cowgirl. Below is an inlay timeline. Naturally casinos changed inlays all the time, however the Sands stands out for its unique inlay story.

1st edition (unique) – 2nd edition (unique)– sunburst – cowgirl – sunburst- new $1 design – HNO.

Not only could the Sands seemingly not agree on an inlay design but the colours were truly unique. Perhaps the most unique was the green and pink $25 chip which appeared twice (I have yet to find any pictures of the green and pink chip from 1953 that had four pink inlays). However, the Sands could not settle on its colour-denominations combos. Black and white chips, like many other casinos, were seen in $100 chips, however $5- and $25-dollar chips often varied in colour rather significantly. Between 1952 and 1969 the following colours were used as $5 chips. I have tried to put them in correct chronological order.

Blue w/grey – blue w/red – red w/purple – blue w/red – red w/orange – blue w/red – blue w/yellow – yellow w/blue – red w/orange+black – yellow w/blue – red w/green.

There is no doubt that Sands chips from the 1950s and 60s are some of the best looking and most sort after chips in the hobby. However, it is interesting to take a step back and actually look at the production run of chips and the strange stories that evolved out of the Sands and its chips. The Sands certainly had some tales of woe when it came to its chips pre-1970.

My chip

This chip was manufactured 22 January 1963. 20,000 of these chips were made. Other chips in the series include 7500 bright green $25 chips and 2,500 black $100 chips. This chip was on tables until 1969 when the casino, now owned by Howard Hughes, replaced its chips with new designs. By 1963 the Sands was the entertainment centre of the strip, as this poster shows, the sands had some of the elite entertainers of the day performing in the Copa room. In 1963 the Sands had added a new wing to itself, known as the aqueduct, which housed hotel rooms. Thus, this bright yellow chip in question represents an equally bright period for the Sands. What is so striking, and somewhat poetic about this series of chips, is that by 1969 these bright yellow chips had faded in vibrance much like the Sands itself. Sinatra was gone, Hughes was transforming the Sands, and the glitz, glamour and brightness of both the Sands and this chip was fading with casinos like Caesars and the International becoming models for the future. I am so happy to own this piece of history. If you too own this chip, treasure its value not merely artistically or financially, but historically as a time capsule of a place in the sun where that sun was slowly setting.