I don't think this is accurate.
More Pharaoh's Club high denominations were made ($25, $100, $500, $1000) than lower denominations (25c, $1, $5). The 25c chips typically sell for higher prices than other denominations (higher demand/lower supply). When inventories started drying up, the lower denominations disappeared first, with plenty of $25, $500, and $1000 chips available for quite awhile. Even today, cash sets tend to bring higher prices than tourney chips (again, supply/demand).
There are several reasons behind the popularity of Pharaoh's Club over the other fantasy sets of that era:
- produced in fewer numbers
- designed by chippers for a group buy
- unique color-matched artwork for each denomination
- used the PC mold version that did not have an oversized recess
- versatile no-denom chips were also available
- also made available on the card pips mold
Fwiw, of all the PC mold chips produced (Classics,
CdIC, NPS, Pharaoh's), those with standard size inlays on an oversized recess are by far the least desirable.