The MHz printed on the chip is just a safety measure. 50MHz means it has been tested succesfully on 100MHz. If the 100MHz failed (too hot or something) they tested at 80MHz. If that was succesful they shipped it as 40MHz.
So basically, all those chips are pretty much the same...
Um... no. If that were true those chips would be designed for 80 MHz, not 40.
The only safe frequency is the one printed on the chip itself. Granted, they often work at higher frequencies but the correct functioning cannot be guaranteed in every case.
I understand that few of us use Amigas in an environment that requires an absolute precision, but then again, I'd rather play it safe and make the chip last longer. Despite the popular but misguided practice of "overclocking" in the PC world, an overclock is NOT a free performance increase. You are paying for it in terms of stability and accuracy.
Actually, the reason I am looking for a 40 MHz FPU is because I have a 33 MHz clocked at 40 on my A600 accelerator, and I want to replace it with a proper one.