Hi All, What Jay and Peter suggest could very well be. Here is some additional info on this strike. After several initial dippings in E-Z-Est the strike took on only a very slight sheen from it's original coloration. What really "peaked" my interest and curiosity was the "edge" of the strike. Now I am definitely no expert in coins but do know that the edge of a coin is a good indicator of the "raw" materials that coin is made up of. Look at the edge of a quarter, dime, nickle, penny, etc. Comparing the edges of the Venetian and Caesar's Palace strikes side by side they are the very same to the naked eye! I have an old beat up strike and will put it in E-Z-Est overnight to test your theories and then compare with the Venetian strike side by side. Will post my findings upon completion of this experiment. Thanks much for the "feedback"...............Dick Maheu in New Mexico