Rich posted: THATS the history of the chip...

I've used the "altered chip" term personally for years. As collectors we should recognise a responsibility to preserve these historical artifacts. Any change of the historical appearance (outside of cleaning...sheesh!) of a chip is an alteration of the chip and in my eyes renders it to the status of a curiosity. A fake. Not the chip that got ordered, put in play, cancelled, burned, or otherwise marked by the natural course of gaming events.

Another thing to consider about well regarded club members who are engaged in altering chips is that their ego requires this deceit rather than greed being a sole motive. Showing off a so-called perfect example of a chip. Sad. Seems somewhere in my Chip Chat stack, Saito tells a tale of Jessie Beck drillin' chips...seems significant to the history of the chip to me.