I have Bill's Guide and Howdy's, plus several others. Bill's Guild, at least the one I have has no picturs, but does mention a middle or lower G. Howdy's Guide, has pictures, put quality is poor and small, you can not see any difference.

I emailed a friend and expert last night, his reply was that, like the red copper rims of 2000, he did not collect these variations. Does this also mean that the early strikes from say the Gold Coast or Barbary Coast and others with the small and large fonts are not important, I think not.

I am not trying to knit pick here, but all strikes be they regular issue, error, variations in the fonts on the same strike issue, or the color or composition of the rim should be part or included in this hobby. Who am I or you, for that matter to say that this or that strike has no greater or lesser importance in this hobby.

Like the two different no date strikes from Caesar's Palace LV, these strikes were, I believe the term is test mules, and were never approved by the Casino for production and never released to the public, this would also hold true for the $200 that was never released from the same casino.

If I were to think like my friend, than these three strikes have no business being even mentioned. Wrong.

There is currently a controversy regarding, a hat band or no hat band and some strikes with FROSTED or NON-FROSTED areas of a strike. Both conditions are caused by worn die. Frosted or with hat band being the earlier or first strikes produced by a set of die.

Enough of my soap boxing for the day. Hope you are old enough to know what that means.