Wow! I apologize for how complicated this is, but by muddling through this, I really sympathize for the authors of any chip guide and in particular, authors of The Chip Rack (TCR).

This then is the result of my most recent re-evaluation of NCV chips used at the poker room of The Orleans. Each of the chips shown below is in my collection, except for the 500 NCV designated as 5. The 5000 NCV chip, designated as ?2 while certainly in my collection at one time, cannot be located just yet. Any commentary or reference to that chip here is based solely on the scan that I did in 2008.

DO NOT confuse the overlay of "PAULSON" and "H&C" as actually being printed on the chips. Instead, those two overlays are used to indicate the UV tagging of each designated chip.

So, what is indicated here? Well, in conjunction with the archival records of the "Chip and Token Report" of the Nevada Gaming Commission and State Gaming Control Board (NGC/SGCB), and the scanned chips, it appears that...

The chips designated as 1 - 5 were originally ordered as a set. 1 - 4 are UV tagged with Paul-Son's Hat and Cane logo and I suspect that chip #5 (in the collection of Gene Trimble) is also tagged with the Paul-Son Hat and Cane logo. (For those who follow the various versions of the Paul-Son Hat and Cane UV logo, this version is the large hat, centered on the inlay and right-side-up in relationship to the inlay printing.)

Chips designated as A - D were also ordered (at the same time as the 1 - 5 set) but the denominations did not include a 1 NCV, but did include a 1000 NCV. The 5 NCV is described in the NGC/SGCB's Chip and Token Report as "Radient Red". My collection does not have this version of the 5 NCV, but I believe Barry H has both. Barry, can you check for the UV tagging on your two 5 NCV's? I'll bet that one is "PAULSON" and the other is the Paul-Son Hat and Cane logo.

The NGC/SGCB Chip and Token Report shows that in July of 1998, a "NCV #500 White / Light Blue" chip was recorded, which is probably chip X1 in the scan. The Report also reflects the approval of chip designated as X2 in July of 1999. It is recorded that in June of 2000, four (4) other NCV chips were approved, none of which are shown here, and none of which are known to me, but they might be part of the reserved set of chips used for the annual Orleans Open poker tournaments, which started in 2000.

They are; 5 NCV in Arc Yellow, 25 NCV in Metallic Gold, 100 NCV in White and 1000 NCV in "White w/Maroon".

It has been my experience that the NCG/SGCB's Chip and Token Report is subject to having errors and while the 1000 NCV noted above as "White w/Maroon" I have not see this chip and while it really may exist, it could also be the chip designated as ?1 because that chip is NOT listed in the NGC/SGCB's Chip and Token Report.

Also NOT listed is the chip designated as ?2.

The Chip and Token Report also records several re-orders, one of which for an undefined "NCV #25". I believe that re-order was the chip designated as 3a. Being re-ordered at a different date (April, 1998) from the original order date, would explain why the UV tag of "PAULSON" would be present rather than the Paul-Son Hat and Cane logo. Moreover, since these chips had several years of less wear, they tend to be in better condition than all the chips designated as 3 in the scan.

However, when that 25 NCV was re-ordered, there was also a re-order for a "NCV #100" and a "NCV #500", but I've not seen the noted UV variations in chips 2 and 5. But if the re-order was for chip B and the 5 NCV of that set that I do not have, then the UV tag would not likely be different.

Well, that about sums up what I am aware of to-date on these NCV chips.

Thanks for looking!

Jim