School me on THC chips for a set (12 Viewers)

Right, that’s it, Christy and Jones?
Yep
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To me it’s not even the weight. Yeah sure if a chip is noticeably heavy and just has that vintage look then chances are it’s leaded. For me though it’s the feel.
This. This is exactly right. I have leaded chips that just don't feel soft and buttery. And then I have my Outposts. It's like lead and butter got freaky and had a baby and then Paulson took that baby and melted it into a chip.

 
I had a couple racks of textured round inlay Discoveries 1s that I'm not positive if they were leaded or not. I was never quite sure. Not sure weight alone was enough to be certain in that case.
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Never looked into these, but always assumed leaded. Even seeing that weight I’m kinda surprised if they aren’t.
 
Never looked into these, but always assumed leaded. Even seeing that weight I’m kinda surprised if they aren’t.
Yeah, I had people tell me they were and also they weren't. I honestly do not think they are. They just didn't have that feel and sound of leadedness, but I only had leaded chips to compare to, I never had any other non-leaded chips, except the C&J Mints, and you can't compare against those.
 
The Claim Stake chips were the ones that caused me to ask questions. Because I had some of the $25s and they didn’t feel leaded. They were light, but many green chips are light, so that wasn’t dispositive. And that’s when it was suggested to me that they might be Burt manufactured Paulsons and thus unleaded.
I don’t know if they are or not, and I never handled any of the $5s, for comparison, so it’s still a mystery to me.
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The Claim Stake chips were the ones that caused me to ask questions. Because I had some of the $25s and they didn’t feel leaded. They were light, but many green chips are light, so that wasn’t dispositive. And that’s when it was suggested to me that they might be Burt manufactured Paulsons and thus unleaded.
I don’t know if they are or not, and I never handled any of the $5s, for comparison, so it’s still a mystery to me.
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Hmm, all LCVs too :unsure: If any were SCV they'd have to be Paulson, yeah?
 
The Claim Stake chips were the ones that caused me to ask questions. Because I had some of the $25s and they didn’t feel leaded. They were light, but many green chips are light, so that wasn’t dispositive. And that’s when it was suggested to me that they might be Burt manufactured Paulsons and thus unleaded.
I don’t know if they are or not, and I never handled any of the $5s, for comparison, so it’s still a mystery to me.
Interesting! My $1s are LCVs but definitely not C&J. I assumed they were leaded but they do feel a little bit different. I wonder if there is something to this Burt Paulsons thing. I might be imagining it but the Claim Stakes $1s feel like a third category apart from my other leaded THCs and unleaded THCs.
 
And I think that information is good, but what people either don’t realize or often forget is that there’s a starting point sometime in the late ‘70s, which is why I tagged @BGinGA eatlier, because I think he knows the details.
Because there was that other company (I forget the name) that was making THCs before Paulson, and they weren’t leaded. And my understanding is that although Paulson bought the mold sometime in the ‘70s, they were still being produced by another manufacturer, for a couple of years, without lead.
This link is helpful but doesn’t say anything about lead http://www.antiquegamblingchips.com/molddesign_manmade.htm
The THC mold was designed by Bud Jones, and Burt Co. first produced Top Hat & Cane mold chips (Long Cane Version) for Christy & Jones Company, basically from 1955-ish to 1965. After Bud Jones was ousted from C&J (starting his own Bud Jones Co.), Pat Sullivan sold the THC mold to Paul Endy Jr., who had left TR King to start the Paul-Son Card & Dice Co.

Burt Co. continued to make THC chips for Paulson Card & Dice (1965-1977-ish), using first the C&J LCV mold, and later Paulson-designed LCV and SVC variants before turning the molds over to Paulson in 1977.

Paulson Gaming Supplies (created in 1975 when Endy's brother merged his Top Hat and Cane Company) produced leaded material chips on the THC mold, both versions (SCV and LCV), and took over sole production in 1977-ish. The leaded formulas were used until 1998, when alternate materials were introduced to phase out the lead content.

Gaming Partners Inc. (GPI) was formed in 2002 absorbing Paulson Gaming Corp., and by 2006, all Paulson brand chips were essentially lead-free.


So, to summarize the Top Hat & Cane mold:

1955-1965 -- made by Burt Co. for C&J, LCV only, no lead

1965-1975 -- made by Burt Co. for Paulson, LCV only, no lead

1975-1977 -- made by Burt Co. for Paulson, LCV and SCV, no lead

1975-1998 -- made by Paulson, LCV and SCV, leaded formula

1998-2002 -- made by Paulson, LCV and SCV, both leaded and unleaded as color formulas were switched to unleaded

2002-2006 -- made by GPI, both molds, unleaded except for six colors

It was also around 1998 that the RHC mold was introduced, along with glossy inlays that allowed new security features to be utilized, and shaped/textured inlays were phased out. I have not researched when the 43mm IHC mold was introduced.
 
The Claim Stake chips were the ones that caused me to ask questions. Because I had some of the $25s and they didn’t feel leaded. They were light, but many green chips are light, so that wasn’t dispositive. And that’s when it was suggested to me that they might be Burt manufactured Paulsons and thus unleaded.
I don’t know if they are or not, and I never handled any of the $5s, for comparison, so it’s still a mystery to me.
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Paulson leaded for sure. 5s have that feel. Hot stamps always have a different feel too of course
 
I don’t see enough pr0n in this thread. I have 2 leaded relabel projects in process, both of which could use 1rack (each) of awesome leaded 43 mm chips….. just sayin. First set is RHC (and yes, I know the reds are not leaded). Going off the path with orange $100s…..
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second set is THC….yum yum.
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Feel-wise and sound-wise there is no match for leaded chips.
However, if you are the visual type (using mirrors in the bedroom and even having your glasses on during intercourse), you could save lots of money.:)
 
Alright....so by spending a bit of time and the search function I compiled a quick list of what seems to be confirmed THC leaded Paulson's. Being the absolute newb that I am I assume if for example a leaded $1 chip in a set means that all the other denominations would be as well. Please feel free to correct anything on this list that is incorrect or add anything that should be added.

20th Century
Ambassador Plaza
American Cruises Savannah Sun
Aztar Missouri
Beavers
Bourbon Street
California Hotel
Casablanca
Casino Card Club
Casino Miami
Casino Real
Celebration
Condado Beach
Copa Casino
Crystal Palace
Dunes (golfcourse artwork incl baccarat)
Empress
Grand Casino
Gulfports
Horseshoe Casino Gardena
Horseshoe club
Irish Mike’s
Kings Casino
Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO)
Lakeshore Inn
Las Palmas
Lucky Derby
Mizpah’s
Nevada Hotel
Oceanside Card Club
OutPost
Palais des Congres
Palm Beach Cruise Line
PCA
Rainbow Club
Riffle Steins
RVCL
Silver Star’s
Skyway Park Bowl
Starlites
The Town Tavern
Vegas World
Viva Las Vegas
 
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^^ this^^

And:
Sheraton roulettes (RHC)
Las Palmas
Celebration
Condado Beach
Starlites
 
Oceanside Card Club
Nevada Hotel
Dunes (golfcourse artwork incl baccarat)
Camino Casino
 
Yeah, I had people tell me they were and also they weren't. I honestly do not think they are. They just didn't have that feel and sound of leadedness, but I only had leaded chips to compare to, I never had any other non-leaded chips, except the C&J Mints, and you can't compare against those.
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The list could go on forever. We’re pretty much talking about every chip made by Paulson for 25-30 years. But I’ll add these crystal palace chips to the list for a reason that’s kind of applicable to this thread (though not the hot-stamp hating OP)

I recently (in the last 3 months) put this set together for about a buck a chip. I know they’re no PCAs, they’re just a bunch of hot stamps, and casino used at that. (Though even the most worn, the $5s, aren’t bike tires yet. And the others are all in nice, perfect buttery shuffling shape.). And pardon me for still slacking on the cleaning job; I’ll get to it. But the point is, I’ve got a full casino set - 7+ racks from fracs to $25s - of leaded THCs that I pulled together for a buck a chip at the time when chip prices are at their very highest. So if you broaden your search a bit, it is still possible to get lead affordably.
And again, I know these won’t win any beauty contests but to me they’re pure POKER. And I may be in the minority, but I’d never consider trading these for the mintiest JACK whatever RHCs on the market, because 1) when it comes to chips, I love the leaded THC clink above all else, and 2) they’ll never make any more leaded chips.
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The list could go on forever. We’re pretty much talking about every chip made by Paulson for 25-30 years. But I’ll add these crystal palace chips to the list for a reason that’s kind of applicable to this thread (though not the hot-stamp hating OP)

I recently (in the last 3 months) put this set together for about a buck a chip. I know they’re no PCAs, they’re just a bunch of hot stamps, and casino used at that. (Though even the most worn, the $5s, aren’t bike tires yet. And the others are all in nice, perfect buttery shuffling shape.). And pardon me for still slacking on the cleaning job; I’ll get to it. But the point is, I’ve got a full casino set - 7+ racks from fracs to $25s - of leaded THCs that I pulled together for a buck a chip at the time when chip prices are at their very highest. So if you broaden your search a bit, it is still possible to get lead affordably.
And again, I know these won’t win any beauty contests but to me they’re pure POKER. And I may be in the minority, but I’d never consider trading these for the mintiest JACK whatever RHCs on the market, because 1) when it comes to chips, I love the leaded THC clink above all else, and 2) they’ll never make any more leaded chips.
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Absolutely beautiful. Those $25s are stunning! PM me if you know where any more of those can be found.

I posted a wanted ad a month or so ago looking for economical THC chips (not even limited to just leaded) And was pretty well flamed by several users for saying I wanted to pay around $1.50 a chip for casino worn (not bike tires) spotted THCs. But I agree. They can be found as that's about what I paid for my Town Tavern $5s.

Not every one of us requires "grail" chips to make a wonderful set that we will love and use. This is a great set that MANY of us would love to own.
 
Alright....so by spending a bit of time and the search function I compiled a quick list of what seems to be confirmed THC leaded Paulson's. Being the absolute newb that I am I assume if for example a leaded $1 chip in a set means that all the other denominations would be as well. Please feel free to correct anything on this list that is incorrect or add anything that should be added.

Ambassador Plaza
American Cruises Savannah Sun
Aztar Missouri
Beavers
Bourbon Street
California Hotel
Casablanca
Casino Card Club
Casino Miami
Casino Real
Celebration
Condado Beach
Copa Casino
Crystal Palace
Dunes (golfcourse artwork incl baccarat)
Empress $100
Grand Casino
Gulfports
Horseshoe Casino Gardena
Horseshoe club
Irish Mike’s
Kings Casino
Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO)
Lakeshore Inn
Las Palmas
Lucky Derby
Mizpah’s
Nevada Hotel
Oceanside Card Club
OutPost
Palais des Congres
Palm Beach Cruise Line
PCA
Rainbow Club
Riffle Steins
RVCL
Silver Star’s
Skyway Park Bowl
Starlites
The Town Tavern
Vegas World
Viva Las Vegas
I can't believe that 20th Century was left off this list....
 

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