Ow! We've still got some work ahead of us on this question. At this point, can we be certain of what we're looking at? We're just going to have to get a catalogue of sample x-rays of various chips to use for comparison. Are we certain that x-ray is really truely going to show altered chips? We can't be sure at this point IMO.

What of the artifacts that show up in Dr. Myers film in the center of the chip? I've played around with the scans in some image editors but I sure don't know what I'm looking at but I'm NOT discounting Trimble and Myers thoughts at all! The inlay is covering whatever is at the heart of the matter, so to speak. The reason I'm reticent to ID what we're looking at is because of the xray film I have of a Whelan chip.

Mr. Whelan seems forthcoming with his blooming reputation as a chip "craftsman" so he'll have to wear all the sundry baggage that goes with it, including suspicion of the integrity of every chip that orginates from him. The image I present shows a commonly drilled low value chip and an apparently undrilled example (still not a high end chip by any means) that I purchased from Dave in '03. What I see on the xray is where my disappointment with this Cal-Neva film occurs. There are shadows in the center of both chips and the most distinct one is in the center of the drilled chip. BTW, xray films are very difficult to present in this BB forum and don't compare well to the actual xray film image.

What is showing in the center of these chips that I have? Something in the manu process that effects density or thickness? Adhesive? Added material for weight and what would that material be? Seems to me we're going to have to build up a sample file of all kinds of chips from different periods before we'll really have certainty of what we see in xrays. Also if the club can access some eggheads in different fields that want to do forensics on suspect and legit chips we'd have that data to draw on also. Maybe the next time those CSI guys are draggin' someone outa the Palms we could interest them in the project.

Anyway, I believe what Gene believes about this chip and I'd like to see the club or members continue to look into this situation. Gosh, how'd this thing get so long! Apologies...