Jim, that makes a lot of sense. It would be very helpful if someone in the club could confirm the Silver City tie in.
Now the reason for my questions.
I recently purchased what looks to be a presentation award/plaque from a Reno antique dealer. It is shown below
I inquired if he could furnish some background on how he came by it.
He claims to have purchased it in Carson City at an estate auction for a person that had no know relatives and was a ward of the county when he passed away.
His name was not Pennington so that narrows the window.
This was/is a beautiful, professionally built presentation piece. Wood is aged but nicely grained Walnut burlwood and would be at home on anyone's fireplace mantle.
These 5 chips appear to have been glue to a clear piece of inlaid plexiglass and plastic screws were used. This would date it pretty modern.
At one time there was a 'die cut' piece of white plexiglass that formed a shell halo around each chip.
This has since been broken away (probably to try to retrieve the chips) and only one small reminent remains at the bottom of the Silver City chip.
Each of these chips appear to be, in my opinion, in 'AU' condition. There are also some minor tool marks/scratches on the wood and clear plexi which shows that whoever removed the white plexi also tried to remove the clear plexi and chips with no success.
My feeling is that this piece may have been given to a WN Pennington as an award for something by the Circus Circus Enterprise group. Possibly an executive retirement or years of service award. $500 of chips would indicate that the person was somewhere up the ladder in the company.
The 2 crests and the chip ensemble dating from 1981 to 1989 for the Silver city piece lead me to this impression
Do we have anyone in the club connected with Circus and who could inquire into Pennington's possible association with the company???
Can anyone offer alternate advice on how I could research and hopefully connect Pennington to Circus?
Since it ended up in Carson City, I am thinking Reno would be a logical place to start.
Calling all casino historians,any and all advice would be appreciated.
Finally, I previously posted an inquiry to Allan M. on these chips. 3 of the 5 are listed in TCR 10 only as 'damaged' and 'modified'
Allan responded that he would be wary of buying these chips because none had ever be seen in uncancelled (damaged) condition and they might have been 'repaired'(modified) to enhance their value, I assume.
This latest chip modification dilema is really 'raining on my, and so many others, parade'
These chips do not appear to be damaged/cancelled or modified.
I have trouble understanding why someone would repair a chip to enhance it value, only to glue it into a display and reduce it resale/collector value.
I contend that these chips may be 'rare', if I can use that word, examples of none modified/damaged chips from these casinos.
I would sincerely like to have some advice as to how these chips could be tested, x-rayed or ???? to substantiated or refuted my belief.
This is one of the best mysteries that I have come across in my 30+ years of collecting and I would like to pursue the information search with the help of my fellow collectors.
I also have other close up pictures available if anyone would be interested
Thank you all