In 1997 there only 8 $200s released to that point:
1. Caesar's Cleopatra
2. Harrah's Walking Liberty
3. Fitzgerald's Walking Liberty
4. El Dorado Walking Liberty
5 & 6. Bally's Walking Liberty 3 and 4 liner
7. Imperial Walking Liberty
8. Gold Strike Inn Walking Liberty- Generic
I believe most $200s at the time were won by $5 machines but I may stand corrected. My guess is the Gold Strike Inn did not want to spend extra money on die costs hense the decision in going with a gereric Walking Liberty.
The purchase- I had table Arizona Charlies 2000 casino show and was offered a Gold Plated Walking Lierty 1 LB silver coin in a blue sleeve with certificate. The seller proceeded to tell me he won it in 1997 at the Gold Strike Inn on a strike machine by hitting red, white and blue 7s and was paid out as a hand pay. I believe he also said it was part or all of the jackpot payout. The casino burned down in 1998. Being generic and no way document the story to the next buyer, I paid the seller $20 over spot, $95. It sure was a purdy strike too bad Gold Strike Inn didn't splurge and pay extra for dies with the Gold Strike Inn on it. I later sold the Walking Libery to a good freind for $175 in 2003. I recently offered to buy it back at cost plus 10%. He's thinking about it.
