Most of the time, we need to look at the intent of the issuing source. The mnedallions discussed here were clearly intended to be given to favored customers of Asian descent since they reflect the Chinese New Years Holiday and were presented on Chinese New Years. None were ever put in play. It has occured that a medallion might be tenderable at the cage when a token/chip/medallion is added to poker pots as an inducement for participants to bet higher or stay til the river card. Whether a chip or objects hits the felt tables is crucial to my older way of thinking since we enjoyed the experiences of the casino game related to the chips (hot stamps) I favor. To me, (ONLY ME), a chip is a chip for my collection when it has been in play and more favorably if I played in the casino with it. Picking up chips at the cage and putting it away as a collectible does not give me much thrill since it evokes only the memory of a fleeting moment in a casino. Some of those fleeting moments sure produced some pretty chips that I like tho' so ....