I am not privy to the information about the the actual chip designs or what has been previously discussed, but the "split spots" you see on the two Sahara chips is not all that uncommon. Due to the pressure it takes create the chips, the clay from the base sometimes infiltrates or fully splits the insert. The different densities of the clay due to the composition of each color this splitting occurs. There is no error in the splitting, it is just the beauty of having hand made products, each becomes unique to some degree.

Jim Blanchard at Atlantic Standard Molding (ASM) was having this problem not too long ago with some of his chips when they were coming off the production lines, and the "playable set" collectors at www.Chiptalk.net, have had several threads created and debated on this issue to the point where Jim had to fix some of his methods to reduce the amount of disatisfaction with the product he was producing.

Dan's 2 cents.