Ormsby excavation uncovers old chips

Four of the thousands of chips found buried in the floor below the Ormsby House last week.

Four of the thousands of chips found buried in the floor below the Ormsby House last week.

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Excavation crews working in the Ormsby House have unearthed thousands of old gaming chips for the old Travelodge where Carson Station now stands in downtown Carson City.

Construction workers dumped the excavated dirt into the lot behind the nearby AM/PM market, and treasures hunters helped themselves to the round bits of Nevada history throughout the weekend.

The chips were considered rare, with only a handful thought to exist. Because of that, in 2009, a $5 chip sold for $800.

With the market being saturated wiith the newly found chips, you'll be lucky to get even a dollar for them, said Doug Johnson, a Douglas County chip collector.

"But it's more about the history, why we collect these chips," said Johnson.

The full story will be in Tuesday's Nevada Appeal