Ed, you would have to know the Cuban mentallity and mob mentallity on the island. I went there many times in search of chips and info and the way things functioned then, was not rational for us collectors.

The use of chips in the island was different from what you see here and, as far as fake, they did not start making them until the most recent years when they were running out of chips and when the Cuban chips commanded a lot of money each. Now there are no chips in the island and they are buying it from collectors here (me sometims) to sell them to tourist in the island who will pay up to $75-$100 or 75-100euro for them an a booklet (a photocopy) on the casino.

- The $1 black. As mentioned, this was a "rejected color", which we were told by people from the casino in Cuba were then kept for an emergency and were kept as "back up". These chips were found with all the Riviera chips and roulettes over 25 years ago when the chips had very little value and when there were plenty of chips in the island to be found and sold. So... a recent fake.......... impossible. Not recent nor fake.

- The $5 was a very special chip. This was an elegant gift to those who attended the opening. The chips and the decals were NEW and perfect looking. They came inside a "welcome" package that I saw (part of one anyway) but could never buy. Nobody could say they were bad quality, they lookd great that night. Remember they were to be used that night only otherwise they had no value. This was the equivalent of an NCV, not a Grand Opening chip made pretty for collectors. And you can see very well how most NCv are very cheaply made and nobody complains. Why no back? Not sure, suspect just like our current and past NCVs you try to save some money,but who knows for sure?? But, I assure you that is what they were used for and can also assure you that those who received these, did not care that it had one or two faces, after all they were not planning to keep them and collect them, the chips worked on the tables just fine