First of all, curse you Jim.
Although it was mildly fun to get the chips out of the safe and look through the binders, it was NOT fun picking 10 and excluding the others. I don't pull out the chips often enough for the simple pleasure of just looking at them and remembering where I got them and who I got them from.
For the purposes of this project I only considered AC and LV chips. Those two jurisdictions are where I have spent most of my time. There are other chips, especially some Northern Nevada ones like Bal Tabarin, Smith's, Harrah's Collectors chip (considered by many to be the start of the limited edition chips), Harrah's $25 black brass core (acquired from the amazing-vanishing Jill Bitner) and especially the Palace hourglass mold hot stamp with the guy playing the slot machine..... that are worthy of consideration. It was hard enough without expanding my horizons. I also limited my choices to chips in my personal collection.
So, let's embark on this journey.

This is the first chip I ever kept. I got it on my first trip to Atlantic City when I was 21. Why I chose this one and why I only brought home ONE chip from that trip remains a mystery. The rest, as they say, is history.

This chip and all subsequent versions of the Palms $1.00 chips is selected not because of aesthetics but for what it represents to me. After 15 years spent in distribution management I was at the end of that rope. I didn't really know what I wanted to do, but I was pretty damn sure of what I didn't want to keep on doing. I bugged Gene for months asking him what opportunities may be available in Las Vegas. I guess he got tired of me asking and he finally said "Come see me after you move here". Alrighty then. I quit my job, moved my crap into storage and headed out on a cross country journey. I drove south from Maryland headed to Pensacola to visit with Will Knight for a few days. On the way back to Pensacola from our second trip to Biloxi in 2 days the transmission in my Buick decided to give up the ghost somewhere in the vacinity of Pascagoula. I ended up staying with Will for several weeks. I eventually arrived in Las Vegas and went to see Gene. He took a chance and handed me an opportunity of a lifetime. He gave me what was, without a doubt, the best poker job in Las Vegas, if not the world. Five and a half years later I still don't know if he knows how much I appreciate what he did for me and how, if I live to be 150, I can never truly repay him.
Thank you Gene!

The rest, in no particular order:

Classic and beautiful. I wish I could remember where I got it and who I got it from.

Drilled, cracked and worn to hell and back.....but still, what can I say. I like this chip. It was an ebay purchase. If I remember correctly, I paid $60-65 for it.

I got this chip, and a handful of others, (Including a Silver Slipper $1 pictured much further below)from a pawn shop in Winchester, VA. I think I paid $11 for the entire bunch.

A striking classic acquired from a true gentleman by the name of Rick Miner. RIP Rick.

Although not particularly valuable, a beautiful chip acquired from Scott and Estelle Hartman at an Arizona Charlie's show.

Another beauty acquired from my friend Tyrus Mulkey. Tyrus played a big part in my move to Las Vegas. I rented a room from him for the first 1.5 years of my Vegas residency.

Timeless, historic, classic and beautiful. This one came to me in a group of 20 chips most of which were, in my opinion, great chips. That grouping included a $1 Dunes Sultan chip that I foolishly sold. (the sale of the Sultan chip almost put me in a freerolling situation with the other 19 chips, but still I wish I had kept the Dunes chip)

Another chip that I don't remember how/where/who. This chip reminds me to be hopeful.
Tyrus once had a binder of old photos that included an eclectic mix of exterior and interior shots of various parcels of downtown properties. The binder belonged to Bob Maheu. My speculation was that the binder contained properties that Howard Hughes was considering for purchase. Granted, that's only speculation. In any case, the binder contained several pictures of the interior of the Pioneer Hotel. Hanging over the craps table was a sign advertising 25¢ craps. This 10¢ chip is the only chip listed from this property. If they had 25¢ craps I would guess that a 25¢ chip also existed. If anyone finds that quarter chip, please let me have a crack at purchasing it.

Below is what I chose to leave out.