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Doc
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March 20th, 2012 at 10:53:02 AM permalink
Quote: Ayecarumba

I don't recall seeing the radiating lines on other chips, but I also don't recall having any BJ products in my small collection. Is this design feature common for BJ chips?

If you check this page at the Gaming Partners web site, the Roulette chip near the bottom of the page has those radial lines. I have at least one more (non-roulette) chip in my collection that is that design, and I will try to remember to point it out when we get there in about a month. There may be others that I have.

Yes, the shell appears to be a drawing, as does the plant. I don't think the lack of sharp edges on the colors is so much a quality defect as it is a "soft" style of artwork. I think you will find that the graphic in tomorrow's chip carries this "soft" image theme even further when they could have used an actual photograph.
Nareed
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March 20th, 2012 at 12:18:40 PM permalink
I think I'm going to start a collection of my own. Not chips, though. I'm thinking about dice. I want to get a pair or set of craps dice from places I play at. Of course this means buying them at the hotel's gift shop. We'll see if I remember it next May :)
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DJTeddyBear
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March 20th, 2012 at 1:17:03 PM permalink
Quote: Nareed

I think I'm going to start a collection of my own. Not chips, though. I'm thinking about dice.


Think about that for a minute. Sure, you'll have something unique, but that's because, generally, nobody WANTS dice.

There is a beauty and history to chips. There's nothing beautiful about dice that have the name or simplified logo stamped into one side, serial number on another, and have holes drilled into them.
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
Nareed
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March 20th, 2012 at 1:29:54 PM permalink
Quote: DJTeddyBear

Think about that for a minute. Sure, you'll have something unique, but that's because, generally, nobody WANTS dice.



I do.

Quote:

There is a beauty and history to chips. There's nothing beautiful about dice that have the name or simplified logo stamped into one side, serial number on another, and have holes drilled into them.



Oh, no question. When I developed a breif interest in numismatics, it was generally the bills that were much more interesting than the coins.

But I'm just not very interested in chips. So as a means of having a souvenir from the places I play at, dice make sense.
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Ayecarumba
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March 20th, 2012 at 2:53:01 PM permalink
Quote: Nareed

... But I'm just not very interested in chips. So as a means of having a souvenir from the places I play at, dice make sense.



Be advised that for security purposes, many casinos do not offer their, "game used" dice for sale, so your collection may not be capable of completion. The nice thing about chips and tokens is that they will be found at just about every joint, and they each have a unique appearance.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
Doc
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March 20th, 2012 at 3:16:25 PM permalink
Quote: Nareed

I'm just not very interested in chips.


It's hard to guess what will interest folks. To be honest, I'm surprised at the lack of comments about chips that say BJ right on them, but maybe that little quirk doesn't interest many.
Nareed
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March 20th, 2012 at 3:26:45 PM permalink
Quote: Doc

It's hard to guess what will interest folks. To be honest, I'm surprised at the lack of comments about chips that say BJ right on them, but maybe that little quirk doesn't interest many.



It is interesting.

Did you know some old Mexican notes say "American Banknote Company" on the bottom? They were printed by said company, sometimes until the 1970s. Many people thought at the time the notes were made by the US government. And naturally they either printed too few or too many in order to destabilize the Mexican economy.

It is interesting in that sense.
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Doc
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March 21st, 2012 at 6:48:15 AM permalink
State: Nevada
City: Las Vegas
Casino: Bally's


Today's chip brings us back to Las Vegas, and presents a couple of things for discussion.

First, my photography is again exhibiting a problem with a color shift. The words "Bally's" and "Las Vegas" and the "$1" designation on the chip are really in a very dark blue or maybe a black. In my photos, they look a bit brownish. Also, the pale background of the image is much more distinctly a light blue on the chip, not nearly so faded as in the photo.

When I posted my photo of the Aliante Station chip last week, it was pointed out that it looked dirty rather than bright white. That's when I acknowledged that the real color of medium/dark gray in that chip was not reproduced well in the photo. I went back and tried to take a better photo but got the same results. I initially formed the impression that the color looked much different under the halogen lamp I was using for illumination of the shot than it does under my standard room lamps, so I was ready to place blame there. I checked with my wife, but she didn't really agree. She said the halogen lighting washed the gray out a bit but did not give it (to her eyes) the brownish cast that was evident in that photo and which appears again in the photo of the Bally's chip.

My only guess on the photography problem now is that the +4 close-up lens that I am using to make these photos is to blame for the color shift. As I commented in this thread yesterday, I just bought a set of +1, +2, +4, and +10 Vivitar "Series 1" lenses specifically to photograph my chips. That's a reasonably good brand, but I got the set awfully cheap, so they may not have the quality I would like. I think I will just put up with them and report when I notice a photo that doesn't match the real color very well. As some guy once said, "That's my story, and I'm sticking to it."

Also, it is evident that this chip advertises both Bally's and Paris. This is not quite the same situation as the Aladdin/Planet Hollywood chip that I described a few days back when zippy asked how we had bypassed Aladdin. In this case, Bally's and Paris operate under a single casino license, or at least they did, even though their gaming rooms are maybe 200 yards apart and connected by a hallway or shopping/entertainment mall.

At the time I collected my souvenir chips from those establishments, they were using the same series of chips in both rooms. This side of the chip emphasizes Bally's and has an illustration of a showgirl from their long-running "Jubilee", but it also has the script "Paris" logo at the bottom. The other side of the chip emphasizes Paris and includes an illustration of the Eiffel Tower but also says "Bally's." I have two identical chips of this type and display them with opposite faces up. The artwork is a style I referred to yesterday as "soft," even though they could have easily had a photo of a showgirl with the text on top.

The chip is smooth all over, and on the very edge it is printed with "$1" just as the Arizona Charlie's East chip had the casino name printed on the edge. I assume the same manufacturing process was used, but I don't know who made this chip, and I cannot identify any manufacturer's logo on it.

Way back 16 months ago in this thread, I made reference to an NGC reg that says, "The manufacturer’s name or a distinctive logo or other mark identifying the manufacturer must be inscribed on at least one side of each chip and token …." I said I had never seen a manufacturer's name or logo on a chip and asked for help with this. As I reported yesterday, I am now aware of the "BJ" logo on some chips, and I am aware of manufacturer's designs like the top hat and cane, but there are still a lot of chips for which I can see nothing to identify who made it. That is the case with this Bally's/Paris chip. It has the expected names/logos for the casinos, but nothing I can see about the manufacturer.

The Paris sample is roughly 75 chips in the future on this thread, so you will get to see that side of it posted here in a few months. (Now don't anybody rush that!) In the interim, I have two trips planned, including WoVCon][, so I won't be able to post a chip photo every day.


Edit 4/4/12: Chip manufacturer identified as Chipco and chip finish as Satin.



Edit 3/28/12: I have just received from rdw4potus the links to some images of his chips from casinos that I have already passed in this thread. Thanks, rdw! I am editing my posts to include his images, such as this one:

Tiltpoul
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March 21st, 2012 at 7:00:41 AM permalink
Quote: Doc

Also, it is evident that this chip advertises both Bally's and Paris. This is not quite the same situation as the Aladdin/Planet Hollywood chip that I described a few days back when zippy asked how we had bypassed Aladdin. In this case, Bally's and Paris operate under a single casino license, or at least they did, even though their gaming rooms are maybe 200 yards apart and connected by a hallway or shopping/entertainment mall.

At the time I collected my souvenir chips from those establishments, they were using the same series of chips in both rooms.



Doc, when in Vegas for WoVCon, you will have to visit Bally's and Paris again, as the casino licenses got separated and they now each have separate chips.

Bally's new chips are white, as opposed to Paris which has the standard blue chip. If I could figure out a way to upload a picture, I would.
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Doc
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March 21st, 2012 at 7:41:25 AM permalink
Quote: Tiltpoul

... Bally's and Paris ... now each have separate chips.

Thanks for the info Tiltpoul. I may go back to Bally's and Paris but not to get new chips. I suspected that they might have changed chips by now, as many of the other casinos represented in my collection may have, but I'm not trying to collect a chip from each series that has been issued. I think it would be an overwhelming task to try to keep current, and I'm not at all sure I'm even up to gathering one chip from each casino. If I hinted to my wife that I wanted to go back to every casino that had changed chip design, I'd wind up sleeping in a tent. She is moderately tolerant of my chip-gathering excursions to new casinos, and I think she will put up with my going back to casinos that have changed names. But just for a new chip style? I'm not willing to take that chance.

Of course, I would prefer to have originally collected chips that just said "Bally's" on one and "Paris" on the other, but that's not the way it worked out.

If you have the new, white, Bally's chip, please post a photo of it now. And when this thread gets to Paris, post a photo of the blue one.

Edit: I just re-read your post and saw your comment that you don't know how to post a photo. If no one else here offers to post a pic of the new Bally's chip, and if you have a way to upload/host a photo somewhere on the net, then I can give advice on how to get it to show up here. I use my own web domain to host the photos I post, but others are using different hosts. I know some have used Photobucket, but I have no experience there and can't give advice.
Nareed
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March 21st, 2012 at 8:21:29 AM permalink
Quote: Doc

If I hinted to my wife that I wanted to go back to every casino that had changed chip design, I'd wind up sleeping in a tent. She is moderately tolerant of my chip-gathering excursions to new casinos, and I think she will put up with my going back to casinos that have changed names. But just for a new chip style? I'm not willing to take that chance.



What rules exactly do you follow for your colelction? Specifically, must you necessarily acquire each chip personally? If you are willing to add some latitude, I'd be glad to gather $1 chips from Paris and Bally's in the week before WoVCon ][
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Wizard
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March 21st, 2012 at 8:23:34 AM permalink
Quote: Nareed

What rules exactly do you follow for your colelction? Specifically, must you necessarily acquire each chip personally? If you are willing to add some latitude, I'd be glad to gather $1 chips from Paris and Bally's in the week before WoVCon ][



Doc has a strict rule that he must collect the chip himself. I've offered to give him chips too but he says they wouldn't count.
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rdw4potus
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March 21st, 2012 at 9:11:15 AM permalink
Doc!! Great thread! I'm halfway through a trip to CA, and separated from my chip collection (except for the new ones, of course). I'll try to post my $5 chips from the properties that we've both been to when I'm back at home.
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
Doc
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March 21st, 2012 at 9:17:54 AM permalink
Yes, Nareed, the Wizard is correct. I don't know that I can explain my rationale in any way that completely makes sense, but I routinely decline offers of chips from others -- to me the experience of being in the casino and playing myself is an important part of my collection, not just that I have known someone who has been there or have been able to acquire one from some stranger who was willing to sell it. I don't necessarily expect others to adopt my "rules" for their own collections, but I think you should try to have some reason that a collection is significant to you personally, if you are going to go to the trouble to amass the items.

As I have noted several times, there are three chips in my collection that represent casinos I went to but found the tables closed and did not anticipate a reasonable opportunity to get back when they were open. I am disappointed about not actually playing the games in those three cases, but I like to describe them as casinos that were unwilling to accept my action. :-)
TIMSPEED
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March 21st, 2012 at 9:18:05 AM permalink
I have an old Bally's $1 coin at home...it's pretty rough, but I'll snap a pic when I get home.
Gambling calls to me...like this ~> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Nap37mNSmQ
Doc
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March 21st, 2012 at 9:23:08 AM permalink
Quote: rdw4potus

I'll try to post my $5 chips from the properties that we've both been to when I'm back at home.


Excellent, but don't you at least carry pictures of your chips with you? <jk>

When you get home and post, please do try not to get ahead of me. I want to maintain some organization to the sequence if it is possible. That will give us a chance to keep discussions of each casino and its chip(s) in close proximity.

I hope that you are able to work your travels out to be in Las Vegas for WoVCon][ so that we may meet again.
rdw4potus
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March 21st, 2012 at 9:40:21 AM permalink
Quote: Doc

Excellent, but don't you at least carry pictures of your chips with you? <jk>

When you get home and post, please do try not to get ahead of me. I want to maintain some organization to the sequence if it is possible. That will give us a chance to keep discussions of each casino and its chip(s) in close proximity.

I hope that you are able to work your travels out to be in Las Vegas for WoVCon][ so that we may meet again.



Do you mind if I catch up to you, or would you prefer that I start with wherever you are when I get back to Minneapolis on Sunday?
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Nareed
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March 21st, 2012 at 9:45:43 AM permalink
Quote: Doc

Yes, Nareed, the Wizard is correct. I don't know that I can explain my rationale in any way that completely makes sense, but I routinely decline offers of chips from others -- to me the experience of being in the casino and playing myself is an important part of my collection,



Makes perfect sense to me. I'm not a collector, not seriously, but I understand values just fine.

So the question is how can we help you get those chips? Paris, Bally's and PH are reasonably close together. Going to one is as easy as going to all three. Gambling there as part of WoVCon is out, as they're far from Downtown and don't offer any good gambling options I'm aware of. But if I think of something I'll let you know. Have you done the buffet of buffets? That's an excuse for visiting Paris and PH (Bally's no longer has a buffet).
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EvenBob
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March 21st, 2012 at 11:31:07 AM permalink
Quote: Doc

I don't know that I can explain my rationale in any way that completely makes sense, but I routinely decline offers of chips from others --



You do it because you want an emotional connection
to your collection. It means more to you that way.
This isn't uncommon in collecting. I know a guy who
has an extensive antique bottle collection, and every
bottle in it he has personally dug from the ground.
He might buy something at a bottle show or at an
antique shop, but those never go in his collection.
He trades them and sells them, but there's no
emotional attachment. There's a story behind every
bottle in his collection and its the stories he collects
as much as the bottles.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
Johnzimbo
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March 21st, 2012 at 11:35:05 AM permalink
Here is my Bally's chip

Doc
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March 21st, 2012 at 12:35:07 PM permalink
Quote: rdw4potus

Do you mind if I catch up to you, or would you prefer that I start with wherever you are when I get back to Minneapolis on Sunday?

Please do post and catch us up when you get home. We are still early in this topic -- just starting the "B" group in the "Nevada" category.


Quote: Nareed

So the question is how can we help you get those chips? Paris, Bally's and PH ....

I'm satisfied with the Paris, Bally's, and PH chips in my collection; they serve their function, even if I might have preferred that the ones I got only referred to one casino each. Not a problem to me.

The only places on my chips-to-get list for WoVCon][ are Las Vegas Hotel, Margaritaville, Arizona Charlie's Boulder (in addition to "East"), and D (if the chips are in play by then.)

My wife and I aren't big enough into buffets to have ever tried the gorge-yourself-everywhere special. We sometimes go to the MSS buffet if we are going to spend the early evening downtown, but that's about it.



EvenBob, you are probably correct about there being some kind of emotional connection, but I have to admit that there have been cases where the whirlwind chip-collecting sprees leave me with little memory of some of the individual casinos. Obviously from my posts, having a poor memory doesn't keep me from telling a story.


Johnzimbo, thanks for posting the image to this thread. Your chip looks to be in outstanding condition, and the photo is very well done.
EvenBob
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March 21st, 2012 at 12:59:02 PM permalink
Quote: Doc

EvenBob, you are probably correct about there being some kind of emotional connection,.



Most of the enjoyment in a collection is the stories behind
what you collect. Just amassing vast quantities of something
isn't satisfying, its a job.
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Ayecarumba
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March 21st, 2012 at 1:01:31 PM permalink
Quote: Doc

Please do post and catch us up when you get home. We are still early in this topic -- just starting the "B" group in the "Nevada" category.



Please consider having rdw4potus PM you the link to his images for the backlog and then editing your post on that chip to include the additional image. It will help keep the similar images together.

As for the color shift, I wonder if a security feature of the chip insert is triggering it? Many security documents have anti-copy / anti-scan features that will trigger lines or color changes to show up in electronically imaged reproductions.
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Nareed
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March 21st, 2012 at 1:10:37 PM permalink
Quote: Doc

I'm satisfied with the Paris, Bally's, and PH chips in my collection; they serve their function, even if I might have preferred that the ones I got only referred to one casino each. Not a problem to me.



You're not an easy person to do a favor for. :)

Quote:

The only places on my chips-to-get list for WoVCon][ are Las Vegas Hotel, Margaritaville, Arizona Charlie's Boulder (in addition to "East"), and D (if the chips are in play by then.)



Well, that should be easy enough, especially if you do rent a car. The D is right next to the WoVCon location, too. I take it the "Las Vegas Hotel" is the former Hilton.
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Doc
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March 21st, 2012 at 2:19:42 PM permalink
Quote: Ayecarumba

Please consider having rdw4potus PM you the link to his images for the backlog and then editing your post on that chip to include the additional image. It will help keep the similar images together.


Now that's an idea I hadn't thought of. It would help with what you say, but rdw4potus might have a story he wants to tell about each of his chips. Are you seeing this rdw? What do you think? If you go for this, I could make a "current" post to tell everyone when and where images have been added.

Quote: Ayecarumba

As for the color shift, I wonder if a security feature of the chip insert is triggering it? Many security documents have anti-copy / anti-scan features that will trigger lines or color changes to show up in electronically imaged reproductions.


I am aware that chips have some security features beyond the RFID chips that have been discussed on this site. Manufacturers even mention some on their web sites, but (naturally) they don't go into describing any of them on line.
Doc
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March 21st, 2012 at 2:30:51 PM permalink
Quote: Nareed

You're not an easy person to do a favor for. :)


I try not to impose. :-)

Quote: Nareed

Well, that should be easy enough, especially if you do rent a car. The D is right next to the WoVCon location, too. I take it the "Las Vegas Hotel" is the former Hilton.


I definitely will be renting a car (always do), so I won't have a problem even with getting to the Boulder Highway location. Yes, Las Vegas Hotel is the former Las Vegas Hilton, and (according to the 2/5/12 QoD at the Las Vegas Advisor) the new chips should be in play as of 3/30/12. I am skeptical that the D will have new chips available in time for WoVCon][ , but there have already been a couple of posts talking about at least dropping by there for a while.

Has there been a decision about group gaming at WoVCon][, or do we maybe wait until everyone is face to face? (Maybe that conversation needs to move back to one of the WoVCon][ threads.)
Nareed
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March 21st, 2012 at 2:38:36 PM permalink
Quote: Doc

I try not to impose. :-)



You seem to be succeeding. Not wisely, perhasp, but too well :)


Quote:

I am skeptical that the D will have new chips available in time for WoVCon][ , but there have already been a couple of posts talking about at least dropping by there for a while.



Oh, that's even easier. I plan to ask whether I need to exhcange my Club Fitz card for a new one. I can take a look at their chips while I'm there. Besides I won $100 there last trip playing 3CP, so I should attempt to do it again.

Quote:

Has there been a decision about group gaming at WoVCon][, or do we maybe wait until everyone is face to face? (Maybe that conversation needs to move back to one of the WoVCon][ threads.)



No (and yes). I can either run a poll or turn autocrat again and decree something. That worked well with the date.
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Lucyjr
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March 21st, 2012 at 3:53:33 PM permalink
When I first started collecting (in the mid to late 90s), slots still paid out in tokens instead of the now common, and convienient, ticket. Although some casinos had chips for their table games, some just used the same dollar slot tokens at the table as well. I preferred the chips and only got a token if $1 chips were not in play. Most of the tokens in my collection are pretty badly beaten up, but I do have a few that look almost new.



In the first image, the center of the coin reads: "ONE DOLLAR GAMING TOKEN"



In the second image, the center has a very faded & worn image that is very hard to distinguish. It looks like it could be a face or possibly a logo but it is too scratched up to tell.
Johnzimbo
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March 21st, 2012 at 3:59:59 PM permalink
Quote: Lucyjr

When I first started collecting (in the mid to late 90s), slots still paid out in tokens instead of the now common, and convienient, ticket.

Anyone recall that in the late 70's and maybe early 80's dollar slots took and often paid out actual silver dollars?

Doc
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March 21st, 2012 at 4:30:57 PM permalink
Lucyjr: Thanks for posting those images of your Bally's token. I don't recall seeing that token before. The old MGM Grand became Bally's about 1985, I think, and it looks as if that token got plenty of wear before you got it. Most casino tokens have mint marks that identify the manufacturer, but your Bally's token is far too worn for the mint mark to be legible. I have some tokens in my collection, and when I get to them I will discuss mint marks a little more. Please post images of your other tokens when we get to those casinos.

When TITO became the norm for slot machines, I suspect most large casinos had a truckload of tokens in inventory. Using them in place of $1 clay chips made some economic sense, but I never considered it as "classy" as using chips. I have always been surprised at the casinos that use them for craps; with the way chips are often tossed toward the dealers, particularly to the stick, I would expect the tokens to cause a bunch of damage to the felts.

I believe that casino tokens (at least the ones intended for play) are made of brass with a plating to make them look more like silver dollars. There were also collectors' tokens minted in sterling silver. I have never seen one of those personally, but I have seen some images on the web.



Quote: Johnzimbo

Anyone recall that in the late 70's and maybe early 80's dollar slots took and often paid out actual silver dollars?

I'm not a slots player, so to this day I have never played a $1 slot machine. In my youth on a vacation with my parents, I played a nickel slot machine in the pre-interstate equivalent of a welcome station on a highway from Georgia into Florida. The place straddled the state line, and the machines were in the Georgia side. Either the law was changed or the machines were illegal even back then. Even if the slots were legal, surely it couldn't have been legal to let a kid like me play them.

But, even though I never played them, I believe you are quite correct that the machines originally used silver dollars. It is my impression (no data to back this up) that there was an inadequate supply of silver dollars to keep the machines stocked, which is why the casinos started minting their own tokens. They appear to be very nearly the same size as a silver dollar, but I have no idea whether legal coins and tokens were mixed in machines. Anyone have input on that?
Ayecarumba
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March 21st, 2012 at 4:37:44 PM permalink
I do know that dollar coins were used in slot machines. If I recall correctly, at one time Nevada, and specifically, Las Vegas, was the largest customer for dollar coins in the world.
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AcesAndEights
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March 21st, 2012 at 4:46:34 PM permalink
Quote: Ayecarumba

I do know that dollar coins were used in slot machines. If I recall correctly, at one time Nevada, and specifically, Las Vegas, was the largest customer for dollar coins in the world.


These were the old Eisenhower dollars, right? It was before my time, but I do have a vague interest in numismatics.

From what I can remember/find out from researching online, there was no US dollar coin manufactured from 1935 (Peace dollar, real silver) to 1971 (Eisenhower dollar, base metal). What did the slots use pre-1971? I'm assuming the old Liberty and Morgan real silver dollars, although as the price of silver went up and America de-silverized their coins in 1965, this would become impractical for casinos. Especially between 1965 and 1971...
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Ayecarumba
Ayecarumba
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March 21st, 2012 at 4:51:21 PM permalink
Quote: AcesAndEights

These were the old Eisenhower dollars, right?



Correctamundo.

I specifically remember the rolls and rolls of bicentennial coins in 1976. Back in those days, the dollar slots were considered "high limit" to many players. Quarters being more the norm, and nickles common as well.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
EvenBob
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March 21st, 2012 at 5:03:28 PM permalink
Quote: Johnzimbo



Anyone recall that in the late 70's and maybe early 80's dollar slots took and often paid out actual silver dollars?



Yup, but they were always new ones, never the old ones. Same
with fifty cent pieces. You could break your arm carrying a bucket
of silver dollars.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
Ayecarumba
Ayecarumba
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March 21st, 2012 at 5:38:04 PM permalink
Quote: AcesAndEights

...From what I can remember/find out from researching online, there was no US dollar coin manufactured from 1935 (Peace dollar, real silver) to 1971 (Eisenhower dollar, base metal). What did the slots use pre-1971? I'm assuming the old Liberty and Morgan real silver dollars, although as the price of silver went up and America de-silverized their coins in 1965, this would become impractical for casinos. Especially between 1965 and 1971...



According to Dan's Casino Tokens website, Morgan and Peace dollar coins were used in machines and on tables until demand for the 90% silver coins grew to the point in 1964 (when cu/ni quarters and dimes were introduced) that folks were buying in, but taking the sliver dollars out of circulation. The shortage of silver dollars led to Nevada approving the creation and use of dollar tokens. From 1965 to 1969, tokens were produced, then the U.S. Treasury, probably to prevent Nevada casinos from continuing to produce their own "money", designed and produced the Cu/Ni Eisenhower coin. Tokens were not produced from 1971 - 79 while the Eisenhowers were readily available. The advent of the Susan B. Anthony Dollar in 1979, led back to the production and use of dollar tokens in large quantities. Recently, the spread of TITO machines has radically reduced the need for tokens, and they will soon only be valuable to collectors.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
Ayecarumba
Ayecarumba
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March 21st, 2012 at 5:52:18 PM permalink
Quote: Lucyjr



In the second image, the center has a very faded & worn image that is very hard to distinguish. It looks like it could be a face or possibly a logo but it is too scratched up to tell.



The image in the center is supposed to be a bunch of leaves on branches (see Johnzimbos blue chip above). Here is a link to images from the web of the same token in better condition.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
AcesAndEights
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March 22nd, 2012 at 12:00:16 AM permalink
Quote: Ayecarumba

According to Dan's Casino Tokens website, Morgan and Peace dollar coins were used in machines and on tables until demand for the 90% silver coins grew to the point in 1964 (when cu/ni quarters and dimes were introduced) that folks were buying in, but taking the sliver dollars out of circulation. The shortage of silver dollars led to Nevada approving the creation and use of dollar tokens. From 1965 to 1969, tokens were produced, then the U.S. Treasury, probably to prevent Nevada casinos from continuing to produce their own "money", designed and produced the Cu/Ni Eisenhower coin. Tokens were not produced from 1971 - 79 while the Eisenhowers were readily available. The advent of the Susan B. Anthony Dollar in 1979, led back to the production and use of dollar tokens in large quantities. Recently, the spread of TITO machines has radically reduced the need for tokens, and they will soon only be valuable to collectors.


Cool, thanks for the info. Weird that they needed a special regulation to mint their own metal 1 dollar tokens, while they were already making and using the clay-composite chips for higher denominations.

When I went downtown to play blackjack on my recent Vegas trip, I encountered some of the metal 1 dollar tokens for the first time. Threw me for a loop at first, as I thought I had really gone back in time and they were using Eisenhowers.
"So drink gamble eat f***, because one day you will be dust." -ontariodealer
EvenBob
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March 22nd, 2012 at 12:22:07 AM permalink
When I was a kid in the 50's the old silver dollars
were everywhere. My dad gave me one when I
mowed the lawn. We got them from the Tooth
Fairy and from grandma at B-days. If I had 20
silver dollars, I felt far richer than if I had a $20
bill.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
QuadDeuces
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March 22nd, 2012 at 1:34:49 AM permalink
And if they were pre-1965, you would actually be richer than if you had held onto a $20 bill from the same period.
AlanMendelson
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March 22nd, 2012 at 2:05:18 AM permalink
I remember what happened with Silver Dollars and slot tokens clearly, as I was an avid numismatist back in those days.

Pre-1964 it was all US Silver Dollars. The "Morgan style" was minted until 1921 (none made between 1904 to 1920) and a few earlier years were missed. They started in 1878.

From 1921 to 1935 the Peace Dollars were minted. Outside of Vegas and kids like me, no one wanted silver dollars. you could walk into any bank and get all you wanted. They were used as gifts, and in some religious ceremonies including the birth of the first boy in certain Jewish families. But other than that, no one outside of Vegas had any use for them.

In 1963-64 the first silver crisis, and the price of silver could no longer be fixed at $1.19 per ounce. A silver dollar has about .77-ounces of silver in it. So silver coins were hoarded, melted and the Casinos were forced to mint their first "private dollar coins" or "casino dollars" or "casino tokens."

I remember back in 1965 these were marketed by the private mints to collectors. I have no idea what they are worth now, who bought them, etc.

Large "clad" silver dollars were brought back for a few years with the Eisenhower design when the govt got the idea that coin dollars would replace paper dollars and save the govt money. No one wanted the large bulky coins, so the smaller Susan B Anthony coins were minted... then Sacagawea...

Meanwhile Vegas went in the opposite direction... to TITO. LOL
Doc
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March 22nd, 2012 at 6:07:05 AM permalink
State: Nevada
City: Las Vegas
Casino: Barbary Coast


I'll get back to the topic of casino tokens tomorrow, but today's Casino Chip of the Day is a real chip, even if you can't find a place to play this one any more.

Barbary Coast casino was built by Michael Gaugan, son of Jackie and current owner of South Point, at a prime location on center strip, right at the intersection of S. Las Vegas Blvd. and Flamingo Road. In 2005, a lady I know described Barbary Coast as the filthiest casino she had ever been in and said she would never step foot in it again. I took it that she had never been in some other establishments I had visited.

The Barbary Coast chip displayed below appears to be a silver anniversary (1979-2004) commemorative, one of the few commemorative $1 chips I have encountered. The casino did not last much beyond its 25th anniversary in that incarnation.

Barbary coast was part of what became Coast Casinos, which was sold as a block to Boyd Gaming, which still owns most of those casinos. Boyd had plans for a mega-facility to be known as Echelon Place (I probably should link to a photo of the rusting skeleton here) and needed more land, so they traded Barbary Coast to Harrah's Entertainment for the north-strip site where the Westward Ho used to stand. Under Harrah's/Caesars ownership, the casino was renamed Bill's Gambling Hall and Saloon.

In spite of my friend's derogatory description of the Barbary Coast casino, at least this chip does have the casino's name molded into the perimeter, a feature I have previously described as "high-class." The design, with the darker illustration circle being slightly larger than most inserts and extending into the perimeter area, looks very similar to one I have seen on a page at the Gaming Partners International web site, but I do not see any obvious logo, so I don't know for certain who manufactured this chip.

In an effort to encourage more people to read what is posted in this thread (and hopefully join in), I'm going to try to cut back a little on my verbiage, so that's all for this post.



Edit 5/27/12: Check this post later in this thread about UV images visible on this and other chips.
Johnzimbo
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March 22nd, 2012 at 7:04:34 AM permalink
The Barbary Coast holds a place in my heart as it was the first casino I ever gambled in. 1979 (when I was 18 or 19) I went to Vegas for the first time with some friends and their parents. We stayed across the street at the MGM (now Bally's) and one night I got dressed in my leisure suit and walked quickly through the casino floor at MGM and didn't get questioned, so I thought maybe I DO look 21!

Still I didn't have the nerve to gamble so I walked over to the Barbary Coast and right at the entrance from the strip there was a young female dealer standing all alone at the big six wheel. I figured I would pull out a $20 and if she asked for ID I was right by the exit and would just bail out of there...but she took it and gave me 4 red chips. I lost them in four spins of course, and was ready to leave when she says "Your timing is just a little off. You should go have a drink, then come back and try again." OMG talk about an ego stroke hehe! I think I just took my $20 loss and left though :(

The chip below I snagged on a later visit with 3-4 college buddies, 1981 or 82. We were sooo broke we were playing $1 keno tickets and asking for drink tickets each time, then taking them to the bar and of course not tipping. We got cut off before we even caught a buzz, sadly.

Doc
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March 22nd, 2012 at 7:51:14 AM permalink
Thanks for the photo, Johnzimbo. I think that Barbary Coast just opened in 1979, so you might have one of their original chips. Even in 1981-82, it might not have been as "filthy" and my friend claimed. Seeing your report of playing Big 6 at 18 or 19, I think that with tomorrow's Casino Chip of the Day I will have an appropriate opportunity to mention a small amount of under-age gaming that I participated in.

Edit: That comment about what I would have an opportunity to mention with tomorrow's chip of the day was a mental glitch. I had just told the story 15 hours before in this post. Senility can be a bitch.
TIMSPEED
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March 22nd, 2012 at 8:07:33 AM permalink
I didn't post the Bally's coin becuase Lucyjr posted the exact same one I have (and mine is as beaten up as theirs)
HOWEVER, I DO have a pristine Barbary Coast coin, which I'll post when I get home later.
Gambling calls to me...like this ~> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Nap37mNSmQ
Doc
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March 22nd, 2012 at 8:19:29 AM permalink
Quote: TIMSPEED

HOWEVER, I DO have a pristine Barbary Coast coin, which I'll post when I get home later.

Excellent. I'll look forward to seeing that one.
Wizard
Administrator
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March 22nd, 2012 at 8:30:21 AM permalink
For my radio show we already prerecorded an interview of former Barbary Coast owner Michael Gaughan. The show will air March 29.

The name Barbary Coast comes from a formerly seedy section of San Francisco. I'll let Wikipedia explain it...

Quote: Wikipedia

Barbary Coast was a red-light district in old San Francisco, California. Geographically it constituted nine blocks bounded by Montgomery Street, Washington Street, Stockton Street, and Broadway. Particularly notorious was Pacific Avenue, one of the earliest streets to be cut through the hills, which led directly from the wharf to the center of town, near Portsmouth Square.The neighborhood quickly took on its seedy character during the California Gold Rush (1848–1858). It was known for gambling, prostitution and crime. It is now overlapped by Chinatown, North Beach, Jackson Square, and the Financial District.


-- Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbary_Coast,_San_Francisco
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
Doc
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March 22nd, 2012 at 8:38:31 AM permalink
Quote: Wizard

The name Barbary Coast comes from a formerly seedy section of San Francisco.

Good info to know -- I just thought it was a reference to Morocco.
ddloml
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March 22nd, 2012 at 8:50:30 AM permalink
I remember a network television show in the 70's titled "Barbary Coast" that was set in San Francisco during the CA gold rush days. I believe the show starred William Shatner (something to do between "Star Trek" and "TJ Hooker"!).
DJTeddyBear
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March 22nd, 2012 at 8:57:26 AM permalink
Quote: ddloml

I remember a network television show in the 70's titled "Barbary Coast" that was set in San Francisco during the CA gold rush days. I believe the show starred William Shatner (something to do between "Star Trek" and "TJ Hooker"!).


Yep. It only lasted 14 episodes. Details / confirmation: IMDB's entry for Barbary Coast.
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
pokerface
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March 22nd, 2012 at 9:19:19 AM permalink
Quote: EvenBob

Most of the enjoyment in a collection is the stories behind
what you collect. Just amassing vast quantities of something
isn't satisfying, its a job.


If that "something" is money, and with vast quantities,
then I don't mind the enjoyment
winning streaks come and go, losing streak never ends.
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