It was probably 1995 since I recall the guys from France ( B and G ) having me find a buy a set of the Sands LV and Sahara Tahoe Plaques that they had made and were overly concerned these were being sold after the casino got rid of them. They did not like the counterfeiters being able to buy them since their "secret" process' might be threatened. Paid a lot for the plaques and they were pretty nice in paying me with some of their notched samples. The next year I was manning the booth for Brass Cores and they came again to trade their wares for a complete set of all the brass core chips and samples we had available. A year later I got a call from them to be an "expert witness" in some trial in Paris regarding gaming and I readily accepted their request but the trial never got off the ground, being settled early. Boy, could I have gotten some of those plaques if the trial needed me. I think Abiatti is really giving them a run for the money (plaaues and jetons) now....