Casino Chip of the Day

I picked this off the table on my first trip in 1996. It's very heavy, metal with a colorful insert of some kind, not plastic.

I was last there just last year, and the place never changes. Like a step back in time to the 60's. I love that.

zippyboy, the MOGH catalog includes that "chip" among their tokens for Riverside. I assume that it was made for use in slots but was used on tables also, even though they had clay $1 chips in play both before and after that. The catalog shows several tokens with photo images, and I don't know how those are made. I have never seen one of them myself.

I don't remember exactly how I got it, but back in those days, any place that had tokens on table games always had real ceramic chips on craps due to tokens tearing up the felt (I guess) so I always got real chips at craps. That wouldn't apply here, but maybe I kept it due to its creative distinctiveness. I was new to collecting back then, and had rented a car from LV while I was at the old Aladdin for the CC&GTCC meet-up that year. Attended the grand opening of the Monte Carlo across the street that trip also. Also, this Riverside token is slightly smaller than all the other tokens out there by a millimeter or so. Different manufacturer I suppose.

Quote: zippyboy

... Also, this Riverside token is slightly smaller than all the other tokens out there by a millimeter or so. Different manufacturer I suppose.

According to the MOGH catalog, your token was manufactured by CHIPCO. On the other hand, the CHIPCO web site makes no mention of the company ever having manufactured gaming tokens, only ceramic composite chips. I don't know what to make of that.

State: Nevada
City: Las Vegas
Casino: Riviera

The Riviera Hotel and Casino opened in 1955 as the first high-rise resort on the strip. Since then, there have been so many bankruptcies and ownership changes that even Wikipedia doesn't try to list them all; they just note involvement of some mafia associates plus some of the celebrities who have held shares at times, including Dean Martin and Harpo and Gummo Marx.

The Wizard did a review of the Riviera back in September 2009, which is as complete as any info I have on the place, though the past three years could leave it a little out of date.

As for current ownership, the establishment is Riviera Operating Corporation dba Riviera Hotel & Casino, 100% owned by Riviera Holdings Corporation. However, it's not clear to me just who owns Riviera Holdings Corporation. The Wiki page discusses a 2010 bankruptcy, but even reading that page and the NGCB licensing document, I can't figure out who the current owner(s) is/are. In the NGCB document, two different corporations (Riviera Voteco LLC and BSS Voteco LLC) are both listed separately as "Beneficial Owner and Controlling Beneficial Owner of Riviera Holdings Corporation." Maybe a lawyer could figure out how two separate corporations could both be in control in the boardroom.

Back down on the street though, the demise of the northern end of the strip has left the Riviera a bit isolated, and perhaps on shaky standing once again. The promo of 1000x odds on craps has been the biggest item of Riviera discussion around here.

The chip shown below is light blue with three wide orange edge inserts. The perimeter ring of the chip has the name of the casino molded in, along with the city and state. The center inlay is smooth and white, with a simple denomination mark and a styled R that reminds me less of the logo for the Buick Riviera and more of the logo for the Buick Reatta. UV light reveals a hidden image of the LCV Paulson hat and cane logo near the center.

The MOGH catalog shows this chip and three other very similar chips all with issue dates of 1992. The differences are that some have a textured center inlay and there are different styles, sizes, and locations of the hidden image. Another chip issued in 2004 is the same except for very slight changes in the "$1" and "R" on the inlay. There is no notation about hidden images on the 2004 chip.

Quote: Doc

and a styled R that reminds me less of the logo for the Buick Riviera and more of the logo for the Buick Reatta.

Ummm.... Buick Riviera?


But you're right. That "R" is designed to look like the 'R' in their logo:



FYI: The above logo was taken from Wikipedia. It matches the logo on the website (without the shadow added to the website version).

It is different than the logo I had used when creating the WoV Vegas Maps. I'm fairly certain I got that off Wikipedia, so I guess the Wiki page has been updated since then.

I found the old logo that I had used on another site. Here's what I used:

Akh! Orange and blue?????

Hey Doc, welcome back. I have a fractional chip from the Riviera but I don't recall when I snagged it. I have no recollection of the place, and even though the MOGH site shows my chip issued in 1995, I would have assumed I picked it up prior to then. I really wish I would have documented my attains better.

(Edited to replace image, and remove text referring to image with no color)

My Riviera is similar to Johnzimbo's, but it is a hot pink, that freaks out my scanner. I note the font on the gold foil hot stamp is also different.



The memories I have of the Riviera are a horrible food court, and a run down casino carpet. Lots of neon on the pillars supporting the casino roof. Did they have the bronze statues of the showgirl's backsides on the wall outside their doors? Are they still there?

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Ummm.... Buick Riviera?

I have to revoke my attempt at pointing out a funny typo.

Not being a car buff, I didn't realize that there was a Buick Riviera, and assumed (yeah, I know) ...

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Not being a car buff, I didn't realize that there was a Buick Riviera, and assumed (yeah, I know) ...

Yes, Buick produced a car named the Riviera some years ago. At least the early ones had some styling that looked nice at the time. Here is an image I found of a Buick Riviera grill with the logo on it. In contrast, here is the Reatta logo. If you combined the top of the Buick Riviera logo with the long leg of the Buick Reatta logo, then you get something similar to the Riviera Casino logo, which was what I had in mind when I made my original comment.

State: Nevada
City: Pahrump
Casino: Saddle West

Saddle West is a hotel, casino, and RV park in Pahrump that I have visited but one time. I have previously told the tale of how Saddle West became one of the three casinos represented in my chip collection without my having played there. The short version is that I made the trip out to Pahrump and found the tables closed. They were not scheduled to open until after I needed to be back in Las Vegas, so I just bought the chip from the cashier. There is another casino in that category that will be covered in this thread in a little over a week.

Most of my usual info sources, including Wikipedia, have nothing at all to say about Saddle West. That should make for a short post today, but I did scrounge up a little bit. The MOGH catalog indicates that the casino opened in 1973, closed in 1974 and reopened in 1976. I have not been able to find any info about that period in the casino's history. Saddle West does have its own web site, but it doesn't provide much info of interest for this thread, and it does not provide any clues as to who built the casino or who owns it now or in the past.

The NGCB document on license holders describes the business as Aces High Management, LLC dba Saddle West Hotel, Casino and RV Resort and notes that Aces High is 100% owned by Sher Gaming, LLC, which is in turn owned 100% by Edward Franklin Sher.

Prior to last year, the property had been held by a partnership between Sher and Anthony Marnell III, with the partnership also holding the Edgewater and the Colorado Belle in Laughlin. It appears they split that up a bit, with Marnell taking Edgewater, Sher taking Saddle West, and continuing the partnership to own the Colorado Belle. I could have misread something in the documentation, though.

The chip shown below is a white RHC Paulson chip with either four or eight edge inserts, depending upon how you prefer to count the double inserts. They are paired in purple and maroon and are mostly covered by the oversized center inlay. As shown in the two images below, the center inlays are different on the two sides of the chip, one showing the goofy-looking cowboy trademark with his hat declaring that he is "Sam" and the other showing a saddle formed on the letters S and W along with the motto "In Sam We Trust." I have no idea whether "Sam" is a reference to a one-time owner, since I haven't been able to dig out the history. The MOGH catalog says that this chip was issued in 2003, and there are a couple of other chips shown that appear to be the same base chip with different center inlays.

Quote: Doc

I have no idea whether "Sam" is a reference to a one-time owner, since I haven't been able to dig out the history.

I was gonna ask.

Actually, when I saw it, my first reaction was to wonder if there is any relation to Sam's Town.

Either there IS such a relation, or Sam refers to a prior owner. Otherwise, whoever thought up naming the mascot "Sam" did it before Sam's Town opened, or wasn't thinking things thru.

Quote: Doc

Prior to last year, the property had been held by a partnership between Sher and Anthony Marnell III,
[..]
I have no idea whether "Sam" is a reference to a one-time owner, since I haven't been able to dig out the history.

Maybe it's an in-joke?

Quote: Nareed

Sher and Anthony Marnell III
. . .
Maybe it's an in-joke?

Well, THAT makes sense!

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Well, THAT makes sense!

It's a possibility.

In Mexico I know of two companies, and suspect of another one, with names derived from parts of the names of the partners, or their initials.

Quote: Nareed

Quote: Doc

Prior to last year, the property had been held by a partnership between Sher and Anthony Marnell III,
[..]
I have no idea whether "Sam" is a reference to a one-time owner, since I haven't been able to dig out the history.

Maybe it's an in-joke?

Could be, but I am skeptical. The section of the NGCB list of non-restricted licenses that presents Saddle West runs from page 424 to page 426. It has a bunch of info on companies and people currently and formerly involved in the license, and I think it covers the whole time that the license has been held by Aces High Management (not completely sure of that). It shows no dates prior to June 1, 2006. And the chip was issued in 2003. I have no info on who the owners were before 2006, but I suspect it was not the folks with the initials that Nareed picked out.

Clever idea, though.

I meant to post this earlier.

There's a new restaurant walking distance from my home:
Mack's Bar And Grill. Owned by two friends, Michael Arment and Craig Koebler.

(Not friends of mine, just long-time friends of each other.)

Quote: Doc

Clever idea, though.

Thank you.

State: Nevada
City: Las Vegas
Casino: Sahara

Today's Casino Chip of the Day is from the closed-for-more-than-a-year Sahara, on the north Strip at (naturally) Sahara Avenue. As I have commented before, there are not many strip casinos left with major streets named for them. I think we are down to Tropicana and Flamingo now, though there are smaller streets named for some other places.

Disregarding the disappearance of so many other casinos on the north strip, I wonder how much of the Sahara's demise is due to the out-of-favor nature of middle-east themes. The Aladdin with its Desert Passage changed to Planet Hollywood with a Miracle Mile, and the Luxor has attempted to downplay the emphasis on Egypt. The Dunes, Desert Inn, and Sands are gone, too, but I wasn't around town when they were open, so I don't know whether they were themed to western-US deserts or those from the other hemisphere. I haven't been keeping up with the news, but it seems to me that something is likely to open someday at the Sahara, particularly if the Fontainebleau ever opens and something goes in on the Wet 'n Wild site.

The Sahara opened in 1952 and was built by Del Webb, who purchased it for himself a decade later. It was one of the hotels known for its association with the members of the Rat Pack.

The chip shown below is a gray RHC Paulson design, with four wide pink edge inserts alternating with four narrow navy blue inserts. The pink inserts look as if they might be triangular, but I can't tell because they are substantially covered by the oversized center inlay.

The inlay itself is mostly gray, black, and white, with two palm trees. The casino name is presented in the same font as is used on the sign out front, where it is supported by two dromedaries. Only the red denomination mark provides significant color to the inlay. Under UV lighting, the pink edge inserts fluoresce and the hidden image of the Paulson hat and cane logo is revealed.

The MOGH catalog indicates that this chip was issued in 1995 and shows two other $1 chips (2004) that use the same or similar center inlays but with fewer edge inserts.

Former home of the 2 foot long, 6 lbs "B3" Burrito Challenge:



It actually looks quite tasty.

Recently, plans were announced to re-brand the Sahara as "SLS", and reopen as a smaller, upscale joint focusing on quality (ala Wynn/Encore). Doesn't sound like they will be bringing back the "Nascar Cafe," or three foot "beer tower" either.

Quote: Ayecarumba

Former home of the 2 foot long, 6 lbs "B3" Burrito Challenge:

Internet photo of 6 lb. Sahara Burrito

It actually looks quite tasty.

And it was only $18 on the menu.

Here are some of mine:




The $100 was still in the case and I didn't feel like removing all the frame and all for the pic.

I was at the Sahara for its last day. They had just given away all their jackpot monies in a huge free raffle the day before. Put your name in the drum, and if your name's called, win $1000. They gave away over $53,000 that day, and the place was packed, SRO.





I liked the Sahara's poker tournies; lots of play for the $65 buy-in, always seemed to get 10 tables. And we got free sammiches.

After Sahara closed down, the tourney structure moved across the street to the Strat, and they gave away free pizza.

Sahara had $1 BJ in the wing by the NASCAR Café, and $1 shots, $1 beers and $1 hotdogs (as advertised on the pavement outside)

I have one of the standard $1 chips as well.

Here's my one souvenier chip. Click for large versions:
Admin note: removed images www.djteddybear.com/images/chips_thumb/sahara_bf_f.JPG and www.djteddybear.com/images/chips_thumb/sahara_bf_b.JPG

Although I stayed there once, for 5 days, I have no real fond memories to share.

Except, they had $1 BJ tables that paid EVEN MONEY for BJ. It was kinda fun to play at those tables and split tens, and double down on BJ.

I know those were negative expectation strategies, but for a buck, they were worth much more in entertainment value from the reactions of the other players.



Zippy -

Thanks for reminding me about the $1 dogs.

The following year, I was staying at the IP but in town for the same convention at the convention center. I hopped the monorail to get those dogs for lunch one day because I was feeling cheap. When I got there, I noticed there were only 2 craps tables. The prior year there were 3. The one open table was empty, so I stepped up after getting my dogs.

Those two shitty dogs cost me close to a hundred dollars!

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Those two shitty dogs cost me close to a hundred dollars!

I know, those free sammiches at the poker tournies cost me $65 apiece, too.

State: Nevada
City: Las Vegas
Casino: Sam's Town

Sam's Town is a Boyd Gaming property that opened in 1979 on Boulder Highway and is named for Sam Boyd himself. I have been to other Sam's Town casinos located in Tunica, MS and Shreveport, LA (chips to be presented later in this thread), and I understand that once there was also one in Kansas City that is now closed.

Each of the Sam's Town hotels and casinos has a 19th century cowboy/rancher theme. The one in Las Vegas has a nice atrium named Mystic Falls, complete with a waterfall, where they conduct a daily laser and animatronics show they call their "Sunset Stampede".

The chip shown below is a blue SCV Paulson hat and cane chip with two pink edge inserts and two yellow ones, each of which is large enough to occupy about 1/8 of the chip perimeter. The chip has a faded, gold, hot-stamped center impression of the casino name, city, and denomination. Without for the edge inserts, it would be one of the most basic of the Paulson chips. The MOGH catalog indicates that this chip was issued in 1998, and it is the newest of the $1 chips shown in that catalog.

Was this the best of the bunch Doc? The gold foil is almost worn away.

Sam's Town also has a large western wear shop connected to their facility. Lots of cowboy stuff for the chap and spur inclined.

Quote: Ayecarumba

Was this the best of the bunch Doc? The gold foil is almost worn away.

Yes, I encounter that a lot with hot-stamped chips. Sometimes they are completely illegible. This chip was issued in 1998, and I probably picked it up about 2004 or 2005. This is what six or seven years of use will do to this kind of chip. I may not have searched for the best one at the table that day, but I think most hot-stamped chips of similar usage would look as bad.

State: Nevada
City: Reno
Casino: Sands Regency

I had a little bit of difficulty with the history of this casino, including when it opened and even its name. The building itself even seems confused -- two of the towers have signs at the top that say "Sands" while the third one says "Sands Regency".

The MOGH catalog lists the chips as coming from the Sands, though some say Sands Regency, and says that the casino opened in 1978. Wikipedia tells a different story. The poorly-written page there says the casino was opened in 1970 "by a group with the prospect of bringing the legendary Sands name to Reno as a spin off…." It doesn't say who that group was or whether they were affiliated with the Sands in Las Vegas. It does say that by the early 80s the company was known as Sands Regent with the hotel known as the Sands Regency. It says that Herbst Gaming bought the property, closing the deal in October 2006, changing the name to "Sands Regency, A Terrible's Property". I don't see any such name on the chips displayed in the MOGH catalog. The Wiki page doesn't mention any further ownership change associated with the demise of Herbst.

The NGCB document for the casino license starts the listing in 1984, saying that the business is Zante, Inc. dba The Sands Regency, with Zante 100% owned by The Sands Regent LLC. I don't know whether Zante was an independent corporation prior to 1984, but that seems plausible. Herbst Gaming is shown as 100% owner of The Sands Regent from January 2007 (guess it took a few months to get the license in their name?) to December 2010. Since then, Affinity Gaming LLC is listed as 100% owner of The Sands Regent, with SPH Manager LLC being Beneficial Owner of Affinity Gaming. SPH Manager is Edward Arnold Mule and Robert James O'Shea, if anyone cares.

The Sands Regency is located several blocks west of the other downtown Reno casinos, and on my only visit there I was too lazy to walk it. The parking garage is located in the base of one of the towers, with the casino being in a different one. I seem to remember there being some awkwardness in getting from one to another, but it was not significant enough for me to remember the details. I did manage to win $10 at craps there, which was one of my few wins as I made the rounds of Reno/Sparks casinos that day.

The chip shown below was manufactured by the Bud Jones division of Gaming Partners International, and the MOGH catalog indicates that it was issued in 2010. It is white with six brown edge inserts, a dozen brown card suit symbols, and six brown dashes on the edge of the chip in the area of the pips. The silver center inlay includes what looks like a Terrible's logo character, but that name isn't shown.

I have seen numerous places where this mold design is referred to as "12PIPO". It seems clear that this is a reference to the 12 card pips on the perimeter of the chip, but I do not know what the letters PIPO mean. Anyone know? By the way, take a look at the diamond symbol. I have seen references to two mirror-image versions of this that are called ROT (right on top, like on this chip) and LOT (left on top). A quick scan of my desk top did not reveal any of the second style in my collection, but my desk is quite cluttered at the moment.

I first stayed at the Sands in 1994, and there was a pool out a side door that was filled in to make the big surface parking lot where it is now. Used to be parking was in a line by the railroad tracks I think. That was my first casino visit ever (for a beer collectors show taking place there), and the $1 chip I kept started a whole new hobby that continues to this day. It's an older version of Doc's chip sorry, I'd take a photo but girlfriend is sleeping in that room right now.

I remember the King's Inn next door was always closed. For several years (at least 10 years) it was just a dead building with old slots visible through the boarded up windows. Haven't been to that part of Reno in a few years, but wonder if someone's bought it yet.

Quote: Doc

I have seen numerous places where this mold design is referred to as "12PIPO". It seems clear that this is a reference to the 12 card pips on the perimeter of the chip, but I do not know what the letters PIPO mean. Anyone know?

I recall that the "O" in "12PIPO" stands for "open", but it may just be the week old pizza talking.

My Casino Chip Price Guide states "opened as Sands Motel in 1965 with just 3 slots. Table games started in 1970"

I don't think I have ever been in the place.

I think that's interesting additional info, Johnzimbo. Does anyone have any idea who was involved in starting the place and giving it the name "Sands"? Did they have anything to do with the Sands hotel and casino in Las Vegas?

State: Nevada
City: Las Vegas
Casino: Santa Fe Station

My wife and I visited Mt. Charleston, Kyle Canyon, and Lee Canyon one afternoon in November 2006. Although I was too lazy to do any of the hiking appropriate to the area, I did enjoy the scenery and the contrast to the environment where we were staying back on the Strip. As I have noted before, I really like the Strip, but during my visits I need to decompress occasionally in order to avoid overload.

On our way back into Las Vegas, we stopped at the casinos on North Rancho, including Santa Fe Station, Fiesta Rancho, and Texas Station, in order to collect my souvenir chips. That is the only time I have been out to any of those casinos. I specifically remember my annoyance that the Wildfire Casino, just a block from Fiesta Rancho and Texas Station, does not also have table games and a souvenir chip for me to collect. In contrast, my wife was delighted that there were no more stops along the way.

As best I can piece the history together, the Santa Fe casino was constructed in 1990, opening in February 1991, with an expansion in 1994. It was sold to Station Casinos with the name changing to Santa Fe Station in October 2000.

I'm not certain what that logo image really is, but the general design and the (lucky thirteen?) feathers certainly give it a Native American appearance. I am not even sure whether it represents one face or two, or perhaps both, with some sort of symbolism. Does anyone know the source of the design? In any case, it was used by both the pre-Stations Santa Fe Casino and the current hotel casino.

The chip shown below is a blue and white Bud Jones design, complete with a BJ logo. Don't think we have seen one of those in this thread for a while. I suspect that Nareed will be pleased with the color coordination between the base chip and the center inlay. I have to admit I find it rather attractive myself, with the several tones of blue. The MOGH catalog says this chip was issued in 2000, presumably as the new name was implemented.

As you post your own chip images today, if you have any non-Stations Santa Fe Casino chips, please post them too, since I don't have any of those in my collection.

The Sands Regency is neither Sandy nor Regent. It is one of the few casinos that is not worth visiting for any reason other than completeness, in my opinion. They are run by the Terribles corporation. Also, they treat A-8-2 as an eleven. See the Wizards sweat the money page.

Quote: Doc

I suspect that Nareed will be pleased with the color coordination between the base chip and the center inlay.

Not bad.

But the alternating blue and white on the rim makes it look like a mutant mint candy :P

Quote: teddys

They are run by the Terribles corporation.

Are your negative feelings about the place based on experiences when it was owned/operated by Herbst Gaming or something from now that Affinity is running the place? Have you evaluated it under both management teams? My only experience was last fall after Affinity took over and is so limited that I don't really have a position on it. Did it get better or worse or stay unchanged?

Quote: Nareed

...The alternating blue and white on the rim makes it look like a mutant mint candy :P

THANK YOU.

I was trying to figure out what the heck it reminded me of.

Quote: Nareed

But the alternating blue and white on the rim makes it look like a mutant mint candy :P

So do you think a center inlay of appropriate size would work with this candy? I'm not sure it's a mutant.

Quote: Doc

So do you think a center inlay of appropriate size would work with this candy? I'm not sure it's a mutant.

I like my mint greenish-turquoise.

Quote: Nareed

I like my mint greenish-turquoise.

I meant "work" as is match the pattern/color of the latest chip of the day.

Sorry for the delay...finally getting around to showing my Sands chip, the one that started it all for my collection:

OOOOHHHH those Caesars Tahoe Chips <3 Lady Lucky Chip <3 <3

Quote: Doc

I meant "work" as is match the pattern/color of the latest chip of the day.

Sure it would. But blue mint candy? It reminds me of a short-lived experiment in the 90s wit different colors of ketchup, like green and purple.

State: Nevada
City: Searchlight
Casino: Searchlight Nugget

Searchlight, Nevada is the birthplace and hometown of Senator Harry Reid, and they have an elementary school there named for him. From my perspective, the town is literally a crossroad town, though it may not really be so small as it appears to a tourist driving through/past. US 95 from Las Vegas toward Laughlin and Needles passes through Searchlight north to south, while Route 164/Nipton Road to the west connects Searchlight to I-15 in California. As that road crosses US 95 toward the east, it changes name to Cottonwood Cove Road and heads on out to Lake Mohave. I think those are the only four paths by which to enter or leave Searchlight by car.

Right at that intersection of crossing roads sits the Searchlight Nugget Casino. I tried several times on visits to Laughlin to stop by the Searchlight Nugget to get a souvenir chip. My timing always seemed to be off, and I passed through town during hours when their table games were not open.

I have noted several times that when I visit Las Vegas I tend to get an overload of the Strip, the neon, and the whole environment that I really enjoy in limited doses, so I frequently try to get out of town for a little while to decompress. On a visit in April/May 2010, I actually spent more time away from Las Vegas than I did in town. I made a day trip up to Mesquite to visit the casinos there, and the next day I drove out to Pahrump to find the Saddle West table games closed. Then I drove down to Palm Springs for two nights followed by two nights in Laughlin before returning to Las Vegas. The day that we left Palm Springs, we went by way of the Joshua Tree National Park – which is a great place to visit, in case you haven't been there – and toured the fascinating Keys Ranch, which is maintained by the park as an example of desert homesteading, farming, and mining.

As we drove on to Laughlin, I finally was passing through Searchlight at a time that seemed appropriate to catch the table games open. Unfortunately that was Saturday 5/1/10, which was the day of the Kentucky Derby. All attention in the casino and restaurant, including that of the casino manager, was focused on the TV until the race was finished. Only then did he open a blackjack table and deal the game to me himself.

I explained that I really was interested in playing in order to get a souvenir chip – or souvenir token in this case. He asked whether I was a collector, and when I replied that I was, he went to the storeroom and got me a brand new, fresh-from-the-box, uncirculated token. It is perhaps the only token I have that doesn't look as if it has been abused with hammers, a really nice specimen. One face has a compass (?) design that may be supposed to represent the glare of a searchlight, with a Lake Mohave promo image and slogan on the other face.

The side with the fish includes the mint date of 1986. The other side includes a mint mark just to the left of the "O" in casino. This mark says "gd", and even though it is quite different from the mark I described as a triskelion on the Longhorn token that I posted, this is from the same Green Duck mint. Check out that earlier post for a background anecdote on the company.

Apparently the Searchlight Nugget has used this token design (with very slight changes) for quite some time, using at least two different mints. The MOGH catalog shows one that looks just like the one below except with a mint date of 1988. The image provided there does not have sufficiently high resolution for me to examine the mint mark to see which company manufactured the tokens that year.

This web site has a large variety of casino tokens offered for sale. Those offered from the Searchlight Nugget include standard tokens with mint dates of 1980 (from the Franklin Mint) and 1986, like mine, and a silver proof token with a mint date also of 1986. Of course they are offered in different grades: some wear, good shape, very good shape, and uncirculated. An uncirculated 1986 token like mine is offered for $10.

Apparently there are many subtle differences between tokens, just as there are for clay chips. There are two versions of the 1980 Searchlight Nugget token offered for sale with the distinction being whether the fishing line is below the "L" or touching it. It seems that the graphic and the slogan may have been separate elements with variable separation, though that seems odd to me. Examination of the images suggests that "touching" is similar to the design on mine, where the line comes close to the "L", while the "below" variety has a more significant separation.

If you don't have images of Searchlight Nugget tokens or chips to post, perhaps you can describe your experiences or impressions of either the casino or the entire town of Searchlight.

I stopped by the McDonald's in Searchlight for lunch on the way up from Laughlin. There is a Terrible's "casino" connected to it. However it was only a small bank of VP and maybe some slots. They did have an odd blacklight mini-bowling game that used flourescent painted shotput sized balls. It was as odd as the manequins dressed up as "prospectors" they used as decoration.

I can understand why tokens would be collected with grading standards similar to coins, but I wonder why the same doesn't apply to chips (or are there generally agreed upon "grades"?) I do recall that some of the collector sites have postings encouraging others to resist "slabbing". "Slabbing" refers to sending chips to a professional grading service where the item is inspected, graded, tagged with a unique ID number, then sealed in a tamper evident acrylic case. Coins, baseball cards, and comic books, are examples of collectibles that rely on professional grading as a standard for determining the difference between "mint state 2" and "uncirculated 9". I can understand the resistance. Grading is expensive and, I think, places so much emphasis on pristine condition, that it discourages folks from collecting for fun. On the other hand, standard points of comparison are helpful... and condition matters. I think grading also encourages centralization of the historic data, which I find the most interesting part of the hobby.

Quote: Doc

Searchlight, Nevada is the birthplace and hometown of Senator Harry Reid,

I'd say it's not the town's fault who gets born there.

Quote:

I explained that I really was interested in playing in order to get a souvenir chip – or souvenir token in this case. He asked whether I was a collector, and when I replied that I was, he went to the storeroom and got me a brand new, fresh-from-the-box, uncirculated token.

That's very good service.

The token looks very elaborate compared to some others that have been posted here, not to mention compared with other types of metal tokens. It's a coin, really. Very nice.

I just noticed that I didn't make any comments about when the Searchlight Nugget opened or who owns/owned the place. Perhaps that was just an oversight or maybe I was distracted by the fact the place doesn't have a page in Wikipedia. On top of that, there is a typo on the MOGH catalog page that says the casino opened in 1067, the year after William the Conquerer invaded and defeated Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings.

I think the NGCB license document has better info. It shows the casino's license as having been issued 8/17/1967 with the owner being the now-deceased Warren Doing. Since 1984, the owner has been Verlie May Doing, his widow. One resource claims that she is now 88 years old. I did a Google search on Warren Doing and discovered that he and Verlie filed 36 mining claims in 1983. And he died the next year. Not sure what that might mean.

I also came across a page of the Congressional Record from 7/7/08 in which Senator Reid is ranting in an entry titled, "Republican Obstruction and the Economy." He is particularly complaining about the price of gasoline. As his example of the hard times people are experiencing, he mentions "Verie" Doing. Either Senator Reid's transcriber or the NGCB spelled her name incorrectly.

Quote: Senator Harry Reid, Congressional Record, 7/7/08

I spoke an hour ago to Verie Doing, who owns the biggest business in Searchlight. Verie and her late husband, Warren Doing, ran what might not be much by most standards, but it is for the people in Searchlight. She employs 70 or 80 people, and it is the biggest employer in Searchlight. She has a bar and casino, a restaurant. She said she is feeling the impact of gas prices. Las Vegas is 60 miles away, there is no town closer, so in Searchlight you need the tourist trade.

Good to see how one can draw upon hometown friends when you need an example for your rant on the Senate floor. BTW, another page I found pointed out that both Warren and Verlie were contributors to Senator Reid.

I was in Searchlight last week doing that drive. The town seems to be a speed trap to me, they have a 25 mph speed limit comming off of 95 which is 65 or 70. The 25 mph felt painfully slow going through town and there was a cop we saw pull someone over. We were in the Searchlight Nugget all of 5 minutes, and he had another car pulled over already. Interestingly, he appeared to be "metro police", the agency that polices Las Vegas.