Gambling in Las Vegas has become somewhat subdued in recent times, with many unwilling to risk money they can't afford to lose.
However, one of the industry's products has looked an increasingly safe bet in recent years: vintage casino chips. Many have increased in worth to hundreds or even thousands of times their face value.
For this reason, Heritage is offering a selection of some of the most collectible chips in their historical sale this weekend - a sale which also includes JFK's briefcase.
"A rare 1950's era $5 denomination chip from the Sands Hotel and Casino is estimated to sell for $30,000 or more," said Tom Slater, Director of Americana at Heritage.
 Rare Sands cowgirl-hourglass $5 Casino chip (Click to enlarge) |
"It's one of only four known $5 Sands chips depicting a cowgirl leaning on an hourglass, a famous Vegas casino logo. Another highlight of the auction is a fancy 1946 die-cut $5 chip with brass inlay from the opening of Bugsy Siegel's Flamingo Hotel. It's estimated at $4,000 or more."
The collection of casino chips and gaming tokens is a niche hobby, but growing - a convention of casino chip collectors is scheduled to meet in Las Vegas at the end of next month. Heritage's auction takes place in Dallas and online on May 22.
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