Greg said "I got two words for you, DAVID WHALEN ."

Good point, Greg... I assume you've seen David's work. There is absolutely no way you could tell if, say, a certain brass core chip is real or counterfeit. Likewise, there is absolutely no way to tell visually (ie: without x-ray) if a chip has been repaired.

Now what expert would stand behind any kind of authentication of a brass core chip? What expert would authenticate ANY chip without an x-ray encapsulated along with the chip?

Since the grading and protection issues are basically irrelevant with respect to casino chips, authentication is the major issue, and I don't see how it would be solved (or, just as importantly, who would solve it.)