History of Solid and Edge Spotted Chips

[foley10]

I was wondering if there was a history bewteen solids or edge spotted chips. Does one have a special meaning.

thanks foley10

[PocketRocket]

This might help give you a timeline.
http://www.pokerchips.com/help/history.html

[smoore]

Great link. Does anyone else here want a set of those elk chips on the first page?

mmmm Jagermeister.

[hachkc]

I also seem to remember hearing/reading somewhere that edgespots were used as security measure because in the olden days, security cameras were black & white and it could be hard to tell the differences in chips without spots.

[PocketRocket]

Umm... I don't think they were using any cameras in the thirties since video tape wasn't in wide usage yet (nor television for that matter). Any discreet observation would have been done manually by humans in catwalks. And chances are they didn't turn you over the the Gaming Control Board if they caught you cheating either .

Originally Posted by hachkc

I also seem to remember hearing/reading somewhere that edgespots were used as security measure because in the olden days, security cameras were black & white and it could be hard to tell the differences in chips without spots.

[hachkc]

Originally Posted by PocketRocket

Umm... I don't think they were using any cameras in the thirties since video tape wasn't in wide usage yet (nor television for that matter). Any discreet observation would have been done manually by humans in catwalks. And chances are they didn't turn you over the the Gaming Control Board if they caught you cheating either .

I was thinking more along the lines of the 60's.

[slotstuff]

Inserts were first used in the 1940's (maybe late thirties). They were used as a security measure in casinos so the dealers and pit boss could spot foreign (chips from other casinos) in a stack.

The manufacture at the time was difficult. Operators had to hand cut a shape out of the blank and insert a piece cut to size of a different color. The quality of the inserts is a dead giveaway as to when they were made. Early inserts were not very uniform in size and were not very sharp.

In the 50's the process improved, as well as the sharpness of the insert, but the primary purpose remained the same - to easily tell one casino's chips from another in a stack, with just a glance.

By the 80's the process was automated, and the inserts then served to also help the security cameras identify the chip value because often a casino would use different numbers of inserts for different values. This was important in the days of B/W cameras. The printed on edge spots of the Chipco chips serve the same original purpose.

Hope this helps.

[Gaming Ore]

slotstuff...

Welcome to ChipTalk.net! You seem to have a little familiarity with chips, do some of us already know you from other places?

I find it a little interesting that to some extent, inserts have come full circle in the "quality" arena. Quality in the earlier days was poor as a function of being hand fashioned. Now the "quality" is poor (with some manufacturers) as a function cutting corners for econominal reasons.

I've gotta say that Christy Jones sure knew how to produce an insert!

Anyway, Welcome again to ChipTalk!

Jim (Gaming Ore) Follis

[slotstuff]

Thanks, Jim. It's nice to be here. I've been collecting for a little over 10 years, and am in my 2nd year in the CCGTCC. In handsight, which is always excellent, I should have joined years ago. It's only since eary this year that I've been haunting the ChipBoard, where I'm known as Jeff Brown, R-7121, which is where you may have run into me.

As you recognized, I'm brand new on Chiptalk, and will need a learning curve to manage navigating. Just by luck I ran into this question on my first day which was a lucky opportunity to share some of my knowledge.

[Gaming Ore]

Jeff,

Of course I recognize the name.

Welcome again to ChipTalk. We always enjoy additional insight and knowledge around collecting!

J(GO)F