The main difference comes down to the mold and when they were produced.
The earlier version is the H&C (Hat & Cane) mold from around 1998, which ties directly to
License to Kill. These were based on the Casino de Isthmus City chips used on screen, and true movie-used examples are very collectible.
It’s also worth noting that not all denominations from the 1998 set were actually used in the film. From what’s been documented, you mainly see:
- $10 chips
- $100 chips
- roulette chips
The full denomination lineup people are familiar with today mostly comes from expanded releases, not strictly what appeared on screen.
Both the 1998 H&C chips and the 2005
CDI chips were sold through Paulson retail, so neither is “movie-only” by default. The difference is that the 1998 version is tied to the original production era, while the 2005 version is a later release using a different mold.
The chips you’re showing are the “
CDI 2005” Paulson release, which are more common today.
Key differences:
- Mold:
- 1998 = H&C (more desirable)
- 2005 = CDI mold
- Era / connection:
- 1998 = movie-era design
- 2005 = later retail release
- Availability & value:
- 1998 H&C = generally higher value
- 2005 CDI = more affordable
The
CDI set is still great and a lot of people enjoy them, but most collectors lean toward H&C for the mold and the closer connection to the film.
If you want to go deeper, these are great references: