Category: silver strike tokens

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My Favorite Casino Bonus!

Display cabinet for silver strikes

My favorite Bonus is the Silver Strike collectible casino coin.

This is one from my collection

They come from Silver Strike slot machines, that look like this:

Most modern casinos don’t have these machines (anymore) because they are mechanical machines, not digital, and the souvenir coins cost more than many casino’s are willing to pay for a “give-a-way”.  Paper chits are less expensive, because they have to inventory strikes and reload the machines frequently.  The mechanical machines have more moving parts, and tend to need maintenance more often than electronic (digital)machines.

Personally, I love them, they are a cool souvenir! There is even a “Silver Strikers Club” that has meets at the 4Queens Casino on Fremont Street in Las Vegas every year (the 4 Queens has several machines still in service, and mints event and seasonal coins throughout the year).  Most of the newer strikes have silver clad center disks (older ones are usually marked .999 silver).  the 4Queens also has a lot of colorized strikes, which are visually exciting, even if they don’t have the silver value of the strikes with solid centers.  Newer strikes usually are $10 casino tokens, worth $10 at the cashiers cage in the casino.  eBay and amazon prices are usually higher, since there is no risk of losing your money when buying a coin directly.

Silver Strike coins from closed, sold, and re-named casinos are available on Ebay and Amazon. It’s an inexpensive way to have a unique and historical souvenir from Old Las Vegas.  With higher silver prices and solid Silver centers (.8 of an ounce of silver) these older .999 silver strikes have both the value of the base metal and collectible value!

A Silver Strike Comeback

Silver Strikes – what to do with them

silver strike tokens | Pocket Change Riches

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I have $50,000 to invest. What can I do, other than buy property or stocks?

$50,000 may not buy you a money-making property without a substantial mortgage, which limits your profits and increases your risk if the market drops.  Stocks also carry a lot of volatility, which could make you nervous.

If you don’t need the money right away, consider investing in coins, which have collectible value and smelt value based on the coins composition.  They will never be worth less than the value of the base metal.  For silver coins: U.S. Silver Coin Melt Value Calculator.

American Silver Eagle coins are available on Amazon and Ebay, or your local coin dealer.

Coins can also be a great hobby, and you can give them as gifts and pre-inheritance to your heirs.  You can also tell people that you are training to be a numismatist (coin collector).  Many people carry a “lucky” coin with them, as a talisman of good fortune.

The Morgan silver Dollar is the most collected US Coin. Available on Amazon,

Or on Ebay.

I used silver coins here as an example.  You can get gold coins as well.  with $50k you can get approx. 2000 1 ounce silver coins, or about 40 one ounce gold coins.  If you keep them at home, 2000 coins weigh a lot (approx 125 lbs) and are harder to steal (try running with a pillowcase filled with over a hundred pounds of coins);  you can also diversify more with 2000 coins vs. 40 coins.  4 pounds of gold coins are easier to manage than 2000 silver Eagles. In either case you may need a safe -You can get a good one for your collection on Amazon.

You can also display your coins, and take some pleasure in their acquisition.
A type of coin I enjoy collecting is the Silver Strike, a Casino $10 token that is highly collectible – and most casinos no longer distribute them.  I get them from casino’s I have visited in Las Vegas,  or on EBay.  Newer ones ar clad in silver; older ones have a silver center that is .999 silver, weighing approx. .6 troy ounces.  There are many available from casinos that have been demolished or bought out, making them even more valuable.  Here is the web site of the Silver Strikers Club – Home Page.

Sam’s Town .999 Silver Strike, Many collectors trade them on Ebay. Newer ones are “clad”, and the centers are no longer .999 silver.

Aladdin Casino Silver Strike.

The Aladdin has closed, making this a nice piece  of “old” Vegas to have in your collection! (The Aladdin is now Planet Hollywood).  Aladdin Strikes on Ebay.

Coin Collecting supplies and Books on Amazon


Black Silver Strike Display Insert for 12 Silver Strikes Casino Coins (Not Included)

silver strike casino coins and display cases

(they tend to be heavy, so be careful when hanging them on the wall)

Best of Luck – These are just a few options for you – find coins you enjoy and have fun with it!  You can even get coins with Koalas and Elvis! (Links to eBay) Also post a comment letting us know what you did, and how it is working out for you! Repost and share with your investing friends! – Alan

The Last Word:

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Vegas Baby! Silver strikes in the land of Bugsy and Elvis!

On my First trip to Las Vegas, Nevada (aka: the world’s playground, or Sin City), I stumbled upon a a Silver Strike slot machine.

Silver Strike Slot machines dispense a $10 casino token, which most winners save as a genuine collectible souvenir of their visit to Las Vegas (or any one of the casino’s that have a Silver Strike machine.  There is even a “Silver Strikers Club” with members devoted to the collecting of the strikes.  My first Silver strike was won at the Venetian (Machine since removed).
Every time I returned to Las Vegas, I went on a “Strike Run” to try and win more collectible Silver Strike coins. On this last trip I won 11 coins and a Flattened penny from the container park.
All from the El Cortez and 4 Queens casinos!
Until the late 2000’s,Silver Strikes had a solid silver (.999 pure) center, and most recent ones have silver clad centers inside a brass ring.  The rising price of silver plus the cost of minting made the coins worth more than $10, and a losing proposition for the casino.  If the casino discontinued the coins, or was imploded (a popular way to raze a casino in Las Vegas), the silver Strikes become bona fide collectibles.  As of this writing, only the 4 Queens and the El Cortez casinos have silver strike slot machines.  (Tip – The machines get crowded on weekends and nights, try to get there in the off hours, when the casino’s are not crowded, like weekdays or mornings).
While you may not consider Casino tokens “pocket change”, they are prized for their collectible value, and make a nice addition to your coin collection.  They drop out of the machine encased in a plastic holder (although not the best holder for a coin), and are ready for a cigar box or wall display.  Some of mine are in a display case in my man cave:
Silver Strikes at Grandpa’s fabulous man cave hotel and casino (sic).

Even if you went to Vegas specifically to try your hand at winning some silver strikes, Many gift shops and pawn shops have silver strikes for sale.  If you are unlucky at the machines, you can reduce your risk of not winning by buying vintage strikes.  I must confess that at least half of mine were bought on EBay, or from friends who won them in Vegas – and knew I would buy them from them!

When you find yourself in Vegas, Make sure you do things that are fun and don’t stay cooped up in a casino the entire time.  The Las Vegas landscape is changing, and becoming more focused on experiences, wine, restaurants, shows, and parks.

Here is a short list of cool things in Las Vegas:

The First Friday Arts Festival,  Held on the First Friday of the month in the Arts District.
The Container Park, on Freemont St.
Park on Freemont Gastropub (try to hangout in the back, it’s really nice)
The Mandalay Bay Casino has a glass enclosed 4 story wine cellar
The Excalibur Casino has free Craps lessons at noon (many casinos offer lessons, I had fun brushing up on Craps)!
NYNY casino has, among other things, a statue of Liberty made of Jellybeans.
The Flamingo Casino has a flamingo Habitat. it’s very cool.
Both the Bellagio and the Wynn Casino’s have amazing floral decorations.
The Venetian has a replica of the grand canal in Venice
There is a street between the Linq and Harrah’s that leads to the “High Roller” ferris wheel, and it is lined with bars, shops, and restaurants!
Not to mention the Stratosphere Casino Hotel, with their amazing tower over 1,000 feet above the desert floor.
Did you know there is a Las Vegas Speedway? And you can ride a genuine NASCAR Race car there? (At racetrack speeds, with a real NASCAR driver).
Not to mention the Hoover Dam, Red Rocks, and Helicoptering to the Grand Canyon.
…And there is more!  -When you go, find something unique and share – I will review it on my next trip!
Here are some things you may want to see on your next romp through Las Vegas:

Atomic Liquors on Freemont st., Longest continuously operating bar in Vegas!

 

Flamingos at the Habitat at (where else?) the Flamingo Hotel, Bugsy Siegel’s place.

Pool scene at the Flamingo, great place to cool off.

 

The lake in front of the Bellagio hotel, where music and water shows happen all evening!

 

This heart is covered with lover’s locks, like the bridge in France.  it’s at the entrance to the container Park.

 

Neon Cowboy on the strip near Freemont st.

 

 Carousel of flowers at the Wynn

 

Montgolfier Balloon in Flowers, also at the Wynn
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