I haven't seen that inlay pattern before on the Isthmus chips, although it was one of Paulson's 'designated for home use' colour/edge-spot combinations. In fact, it looks to be the combination used on the Paulson 'Fabulous Las Vegas' $1 chip. I have also seen the Isthmus City $25 inlay with edge spots similar to the 'Casino De Mexico' 10,000.

The casinocom.com website used to have a graphic of all of the approved 'home use' Paulson colour/edge spot combinations, but took it down when Paulson stopped selling to the public. However, you will notice that many of them were repeated between the Isthmus, Fabulous Las Vegas, Legends of the West, Scandia, etc. Casino Chips.

This particular chip might be an early prototype chip, produced before Paulson settled on the more widely produced edge spot combinations as shown on the other $1 Isthmus chips in your graphic. Or, (although this is less likely) it could be a custom chip ordered by someone with the Isthmus inlay, but different edge spots. I know I was close several times to ordering the Isthmus $5 chips with the hub inlay, and the $1000 with the notched inlay. However, they wanted $0.85/chip to do so, and I figured I could have my own custom inlay design for that price. If only I had known then what I know now...

Regardless, nice find!

Brent J. Jensen
R-6335
orbis non sufficit