How good was this chip score? +pr0n (1 Viewer)

I have 120 green that would make a nice frac.

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Effing ferrets, they are the best at geometry, but they can’t spell for shit and don’t get me started on their geography. But geometry hell ya
You should be shocked anything I write is legible. Imma special boy.
 
Don't recall exactly when Jack Todd started selling diamond molds (@Jeff in Iowa probably has more info on the order card dates), but if it was prior to 1947, the chips were likely made by USPC (before the Burt Co. purchased their mold assets in 1947-ish)

The information I have is that Jack Todd owned the diamond mold from 1933 until his death in 1952. Below is the first USPC Co. order record from 1933 for Jack Todd diamond mold chips.

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You might notice that the diamonds on the earliest Jack Todd diamond mold chips, such as the ones above, are a little bit smaller than yours. It seems that the older that these chips are, the more likely that the diamonds are slightly smaller. There are exceptions because some very old diamond mold chips from the 1930s occasionally have fatter diamonds similar to yours, so it is not a completely reliable dating method. By the late 1950s, the small diamond version of the chip seems to completely disappear.

Gene Trimble wrote a short history of the Christy Jones company that has some information about Jack Todd and the diamond mold; http://www.marlowcasinochips.com/links/genetrimble/illegaloftheday/ChristyJones.pdf

Just to complicate things, the very end of that article mentions that after Christy Jones bought out the Jack Todd company after 1952, they likely continued to operate the Jack Todd Co. office in Kansas City for some years, presumably selling their diamond mold chips and perhaps their Jack Todd branded cases. This is supported by some of the Burt Co. records. The below Burt order card dated 1960 for chips on the diamond mold is the last one using the Jack Todd company name. So I suppose it is possible that the chips and case come from the late 1950s, but I would guess 1940s or early 1950s.

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The information I have is that Jack Todd owned the diamond mold from 1933 until his death in 1952. Below is the first USPC Co. order record from 1933 for Jack Todd diamond mold chips.

View attachment 633824

You might notice that the diamonds on the earliest Jack Todd diamond mold chips, such as the ones above, are a little bit smaller than yours. It seems that the older that these chips are, the more likely that the diamonds are slightly smaller. There are exceptions because some very old diamond molds from the 1930s occasionally have fatter diamonds similar to yours, so it is not a completely reliable dating method. By the late 1950s, the small diamond version of the chip seems to completely disappear.

Gene Trimble wrote a short history of the Christy Jones company that has some information about Jack Todd and the diamond mold; http://www.marlowcasinochips.com/links/genetrimble/illegaloftheday/ChristyJones.pdf

Just to complicate things, the very end of that article mentions that after Christy Jones bought out the Jack Todd company after 1952, they continued to sell the diamond chips (and I suppose possibly the cases they came in) in Kansas City under the Jack Todd Co. name for some years. This is supported by some of the Burt Co. records. The below Burt card is the last one in 1960 using the Jack Todd company name. So I suppose it is possible that the chips and case come from the late 1950s, but I would guess 1940s or early 1950s.

View attachment 633826

Wow, that’s some background material for sure. Crazy good!!
 
The information I have is that Jack Todd owned the diamond mold from 1933 until his death in 1952. Below is the first USPC Co. order record from 1933 for Jack Todd diamond mold chips.

View attachment 633824

You might notice that the diamonds on the earliest Jack Todd diamond mold chips, such as the ones above, are a little bit smaller than yours. It seems that the older that these chips are, the more likely that the diamonds are slightly smaller. There are exceptions because some very old diamond mold chips from the 1930s occasionally have fatter diamonds similar to yours, so it is not a completely reliable dating method. By the late 1950s, the small diamond version of the chip seems to completely disappear.

Gene Trimble wrote a short history of the Christy Jones company that has some information about Jack Todd and the diamond mold; http://www.marlowcasinochips.com/links/genetrimble/illegaloftheday/ChristyJones.pdf

Just to complicate things, the very end of that article mentions that after Christy Jones bought out the Jack Todd company after 1952, they likely continued to operate the Jack Todd Co. office in Kansas City for some years, presumably selling their diamond mold chips and perhaps their Jack Todd branded cases. This is supported by some of the Burt Co. records. The below Burt order card dated 1960 for chips on the diamond mold is the last one using the Jack Todd company name. So I suppose it is possible that the chips and case come from the late 1950s, but I would guess 1940s or early 1950s.

View attachment 633826
Great post like always...thanks @Jeff in Iowa
Looks like Kansas City has quite the history, when doing some research on T. K. Specialty Co. (horseshoe mold) I found out they also started in Kansas.

Nice score @Silver_Fiend
 
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Thanks for the history @Jeff in Iowa

edit, wow what an amazing article! I am going to be spending a lot of time reading through the links from that website!
 
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But in either case, a relative low- or no-lead material formula would have been used.
Interesting. What's the source for that information?

We know at least one of the TR King formulas had a hefty amount of lead, going from the formula @Jeff in Iowa found on an order card (discussed here).
 
Milling was something I was thinking about... before... I fondled these chips. These arent worn casino chips, they are so pristine. It feels wrong to take a set that has survived for so many decades and start grinding them down for stickers.
big ol' thumbs up to this
 
So a few days ago @colter ripton put out a notice about some chips for sale close to me. OK, "close" is relative, it was a 300 mile round trip. My first contact reply was that someone had already said they wanted them, then got a message a couple days later asking if I still wanted them.

So heres the deets and the pr0n. 2 Jack-Todd 1000 chip cases with 1623 diamond mold chips in 3 flavors. There are 527 red $1, 780 blue $5, and 316 orange $25. $12,327 face value, with an inflation adjusted total of $246,000. Someone had some very rich games, or maybe just rich plans. I cant help but wonder if this started as a 2000 chip set and some disappeared over time. The seller said he found them in an attic at an estate sale, but didnt know the family name or exact location. I'm hoping I can sleuth out who might have had this very nice chip set, 70-80 years ago.
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The cases are in rough shape. The glue holding them together is failing, the chip inserts can be removed and some are slightly cracked by can be glued and sealed. I'd like to re-build the cases since they are original, but they look pretty cheaply built and I dont know if its possible.

The chips themselves are marvelous. Some show a tiny amount of face wear, but most still have texturing. All of them have crisp, sharp corners and are flat as glass. weight checks for 10-stacks show orange are 105gms, reds are 104 and blues weigh 102

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I know these are Todd chips and they were in business from 1933 to 1950(IIRC), when this mold was sold to Christy by the heirs, and then to Paulson. J-T comes from Kansas City, MO and supplied everyone from casinos, to home games, to illegal gambling operations. So now a few questions.... Anybody have more detailed information on the company, its timeline, owners info, etc? What are your guesses on age? early or late J-T? Are these "leaded" chips? How hard are early diamond mold chip to find? I would love to find 100 of another solid color and turn them into fracs for this set, and maybe another 100 for hundo chips, but I know I'm probably being wildly optimistic. Which leads to the final question. Value? I'm curious both for what this set is worth, as well as what it might cost for my additional chips.

she said i was beaten by 2 minutes in my interest in the chips, glad you got them, I wanted them BAD.................
 
Diamonds. Pffft.

Let me know when you’re ready for an upgrade to SUPER Diamonds.

I have a few I can let go if you twist my arm. Say... 31¢ each?

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Willing to discuss higher prices via PM only. Offer not available in NJ, CA, NM, ID, WY, or where otherwise prohibited by law, unless shipped in a box so the coppers can’t tell. Offer expires 9/30/2321, unless accompanied by a crayon-drawn coupon stating different terms. Splits are possible, but only while wearing yoga pants or those Tom Selleck hip 1” inseam shorts from the 1980s. But really, SUPER Diamonds are the only authentic poker chip in the universe. DOGECoin is an acceptable payment, providing I win the pending giveaway, otherwise it’s cash, whole Bitcoin, or other electronic payment methods. But really, this isn’t an ad, because you’re not ready for SUPER Diamonds. Stick to your vintage plain diamonds, Ace.
 
Diamonds. Pffft.

Let me know when you’re ready for an upgrade to SUPER Diamonds.

I have a few I can let go if you twist my arm. Say... 31¢ each?

View attachment 634376
Willing to discuss higher prices via PM only. Offer not available in NJ, CA, NM, ID, WY, or where otherwise prohibited by law, unless shipped in a box so the coppers can’t tell. Offer expires 9/30/2321, unless accompanied by a crayon-drawn coupon stating different terms. Splits are possible, but only while wearing yoga pants or those Tom Selleck hip 1” inseam shorts from the 1980s. But really, SUPER Diamonds are the only authentic poker chip in the universe. DOGECoin is an acceptable payment, providing I win the pending giveaway, otherwise it’s cash, whole Bitcoin, or other electronic payment methods. But really, this isn’t an ad, because you’re not ready for SUPER Diamonds. Stick to your vintage plain diamonds, Ace.
But are they official casino weight?
 
Interesting. What's the source for that information?

We know at least one of the TR King formulas had a hefty amount of lead, going from the formula @Jeff in Iowa found on an order card (discussed here).
Chips produced by USPC and Burt Co. did not contain lead, including the lcrowns made for TRK.

The TRK in-house materials (and process) were totally different.
 

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