Hi Smitty.. first of all, thank you for your kind words.. All the chips were purchased directly from the cage on the day of their release. I had noticed the same thing about the coloration which only seems to effect the inserts. The edges are razor sharp and the chips appear new with the exception of the coloration you mentioned. I have had multiples of many of them and it appears to only affect a few of the Mucha releases. I had tried cleaning some to no avail. It appears to be part of the clay coloring. If any readers have noticed the same thing or have any insight, I would love to hear from you..

regards,
-eric