If you are basing whether to call a chip a fake or not is if you see residual red on the rim, then you will be fooled quite often.

It is obvious that the Goldfield, Packet and Robert E. Lee chips were all from the same batch of $5 chips. Foreget the red rim, that can be removed. Check the $5s. That's the key.

Question: Do you believe that ANY of the chips in the commem section (I'm not referring to the NOT the fake section) are original. I bet that the overwhelming majority, if not all have been recarved.

In my opinion, if the recarving took place in the same era in which the chips were made, they are legitimate chips. I know Dale and Kenny feel this way. I don't know about Travis, but I'm sure he would sell any commems at "fake" chip prices.