Robert Eisenstadt's
Antique Gambling Chips
& Gambling Memorabilia Web Site
U.S.P.C. GAMBLING CHIPS - CREST & SEAL
Inlaid gambling chips (Crest and Seal-type) manufactured
by the U.S. Playing Card Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, which were made
between approximately 1910 and 1940's and can be traced to the
shipping-chip sample archive records of USPC, which usually show
who ordered the chips, when and in what quantities and colors
(wait for pictures to download; worth
the wait!). (note: "Crest and Seal" chips are clay chips with
litho inlays and flat rims, i.e., no embossed mold rims) (condition:
all chips are in very fine to excellent condition, unless otherwise
noted) (I tried to price these chips fairly. Feedback and
offers to sell me chips are appreciated. I wish others
would have public price lists for these things.)
| Eisenstadt order number |
All the chips here are the same size -- c. 1-1/2". (Only the pictures vary in size.) |
Name of chip | Description, date, etc. (all are inlaid, either Crest and Seal chips or die-cut chips.) All in very fine or better condition, unless otherwise noted.) | Price per one chip |
| US-39 |
|
Agua Caliente, Tijuana, Mexico sold |
¶ for sale: the $5 orange-yellow pictured
here. ¶ large, famous hotel-casino resort, frequented by the elite of Hollywood. Opened 1928; closed 1935......shipped to Agua Caliente Co., Tijuana, Mexico, Nov. 26, 1928. |
$55.00 sold |
| US-36 |
|
Arab Smoking Hash Pipe | ¶ colors: white, blue, red-maroon,
green ¶ shipped to B.C. Wills & Co., Detroit, Mich., July 8, 1929. |
$75.00 |
| US-35 |
|
Artistica Gallega Casino, Havana,
Cuba |
¶ pink, red ¶ chips shipped to Pernas Collado & Co, N.Y., April 23, 1931.............fine condition |
$25.00 |
| US-51 |
|
Buffalo Head | ¶ red, white, blue, yellow ¶ very fine ¶ shipped to Abercrombie and Fitch Co., NYC, 1917. |
$90.00 |
| US-1 |
|
B. L. Mc. | have chips in red, white and blue.........ordered in 1923 and shipped to Chas. W. Hancher, Wheeling, W. Va. | $90.00 |
| US-2 |
|
BPOE #99, Los Angeles (reverse side says BPOE Elks 10c 99) |
have chips in white (10 cents on reverse side of chip), green ($1.00 on reverse side), and yellow ($5.00 on reverse side).......shipped 1927 to W.H. Goegee Co., Los Angeles. The lodge building is at 607 S. Western Ave, Los Angeles. .... .........note: scan is poor; condition is mint. | $30.00 each, except white is $10.00 |
| US-52 |
|
Breakers Club | ¶ red ($95), blue ($95) and yellow ($100).
¶ excellent to very-fine ¶ Click here to read a history and see a picture of the hotel (1926-1934; near the Santa Monica Pier, California) and to view the chips. ¶ the chips were shipped to Montags, Los Angeles, Calif. |
prices to the left. |
| US-28 |
|
Bronco Rider | Have chips in red, white and blue. All have some burns on them, as do those from the only other source of these chips that I am aware of……..In 1928 these chips were shipped to the Cheyenne Cigar Store, Cheyenne, Wyo. | $18.00 |
| US-47 |
|
Centro de la Colonia Espanola, Santiago,
Cuba |
¶ green. ¶ condition -- very fine; background of inlay has nice light beige hue which may have turned this color over time. I have seen these chips only with this hue. Each side is different; the reverse side has what must be the casino logo -- a crown and shield. ¶ casino opened 1921, closed in the 1950's. ¶ this chip was sent to Pernas & Collade, N.Y. office, April 7, 1921 |
$55.00 |
| US-48 |
|
Charlevoix JK Club, Charlevoix MI | ¶colors for sale -- white ¶ condition -- used ¶ the club was run by the notorious Purple Gang (Levinson Bros.) ¶ chips shipped to J H Koch, Toledo office, March 10, 1919 |
$30.00 |
| US-53 |
|
The Christiania, Sun Valley-Ketchum, Idaho (picture of skier on the inlay. Click here for picture of some of the chips.) |
¶ Click here for
a history of The Christiania Club and a picture
of the Club. ¶ pink, green -- $75 each; have slight edge nicks. ¶ red, mustard, white -- $60 each; whites are excellent; reds and mustard have slight edge nicks. ¶ yellow, blue -- $35 each; fine condition. ¶ hot-stamped "C" chips, $7 each. These were obtained at The Christiania along with the crest and seal chips. I have them in brown, white and green (the green are not pictured). ¶ all chips in fine-very fine, though used, condition. ¶ shipped to B C Wills and Co, Detroit, Mich., (the major gambling supply house) in 1937. George Weinbrenner, who owned B.C. Wills. founded the Christiania in 1937. Closed about 1948. Was visited by numerous Hollywood stars. |
prices at left |
| US-54 |
|
Casino Cubano Artemisa, Cuba |
¶ red ¶ fine ¶ 1931 shipped to Pernas Collado & Co., NYC. |
$50.00 |
| US-55 |
|
Cleveland Athletic Club, Cleveland, Ohio SOLD |
¶ yellow (a rare color for this chip) Note: inlay
missing from one side!. ¶ very poor condition. For example, inlays are discolored. And inlay is missing from one side! ¶ in 1926 the chips were shipped directly to the Club. |
$20.00 sold |
| US-5 |
|
Chesterfield Club, Detroit, Michigan | shipped 1936 to Chesterfield Club, Detroit Michigan. Scan is poor, but nice crest and seal chip.......Lincoln Fitzgerald, the owner of the illegal mob run club, named it after his favorite cigarettes. | $5.00 |
| US-5a |
|
Chesterfield Club, Detroit, Michigan |
I have for sale: tan "5", green "10", yellow "50" , blue "20". ......from same shipment as above 1936 Chesterfield entry | $9.00 |
| US-56 |
|
Utopia Club (Chinese translation) sold out |
¶ green ¶ fine ¶ according to Travis Lewin, the translation is "Peach Blossom Fountain," which is an allusion to a search for "Utopia."...... ........ The Chinese people that run restaurants and laundries in my neighborhood (Brooklyn Heights, NYC) say the letters are the name of a famous historic Chinese person. Go know? ¶ in 1931 the chips were shipped to Zellerbach Paper Co, Calif. |
$50. sold |
| US-57 |
|
Leisure Time (Chinese translation) |
¶ yellow, pink. ¶ used, a little soiled and worn. ¶ the side in the scan means "send out." The reverse side means "devoted to leisure" or "leisure time to enjoy oneself." ¶ shipped in 1926 to Samuel's Smoke House, Fresno, Calif. ¶ I have a hub mold hot-stamped chip with the same design ($20) |
$20. |
| US-58 |
|
Country Club. Lake Tahoe NV | ¶ yellow-orange ¶ very fine ¶ 1935 shipped to Noll & Co., Los Angeles, Calif. |
$70 |
| US-40 |
|
CCC | colors: blue, white, green, pink
and lavender. The white and blue chips have a small
burn on one side...... Sept. 18, 1931, shipped to H C Evans and Co. in Illinois |
$35.00 |
| US-42 |
|
Club Casa del Mar, Los Angeles, CA | colors: white. Dec. 14, 1925, shipped to H & H Holding Co., Club Casa del Mar, Los Angeles, Calif. Listed in The Gaming Table......difficult to see in the scan, but inside the crest are the letters "C C D M," seascape and a large wave. |
$95.00 |
US-66 |
|
Combine |
¶ yellow ¶ sent in 1938 to B. C. Wills (the large national gambling supply house; many illegal club customers), Detroit, Michigan. |
$100.00 |
| US-6 |
|
D-5 | UFC: 1933 and 1938 shipped to B. C. Wills Co., Detroit, Michigan -- the large gambling supply house......Hard to see from the scan but it is a Crest and Seal (litho inlay) chip, and very nice condition. | $75.00 |
US-67 |
|
DTC |
¶ red and blue ¶ Ordered by Mandel Bros, Chicago, ( a sporting department store) in 1920 and 1921. |
see eBay auction |
| US-7 |
|
EBB sold |
In 1929 these chips were shipped to "Tacoma Groc. Co., Tacoma, Wash."……I acquired 13 of these —all blue-- and don’t know of any others. | $70.00 sold |
| US-8 |
|
Empire Club, East St. Louis, Mo. | have the chips in rust, white, blue and green..........In 1928 and 1929 the chips were sent to two well known gambling supply outfits -- Aladdin Specialty, Chicago, and B C Wills, Detroit. | $18.00 |
| US-9 |
|
Elk (12-point antlers) | Have the chips in red, white and blue. Used, but OK..........These are generic poker chips, for Elks Club games and others; not rare; I'd rate them "uncommon.".....No date is given in the USPC photo-shipping archive records; it appears next to 1922 orders | $9.00 |
| US-12 |
|
FOE Eagle Lodge 449 (picture of spread eagle on reverse) | shipped 1928 to Fraternal Order of Eagles #449 Norwood, Ohio. | $35.00 |
US-68 |
|
FOE Eagle Lodge 197 |
¶ white, blue ¶shipped 1928 to Toledo, Ohip, where the lodge is located. |
$15.00 |
| US-13 |
|
Florida Palms generic poker chips | have these in red, blue, yellow, and dark brown. Very nice condition, save the yellows (worn) and blues (nice surface, but faded on edges).........Shipped 1925 to H. C. Evans, Chicago. This is a generic chip, used for private poker games, and since they came in so many colors, they were probably used in illegal clubs for roulette and other table games. | $9.00 |
| US-46 |
|
Green Mill Inn, Aribi,
Louisiana |
¶ condition: OK, used but no problems.
¶ opened c. 1927; closed now. From an eBay auction: "The Green Mill Inn was one of the earliest illegal casinos near New Orleans in the Roaring '20s. It was located at Angela and St. Claude Street in Arabi, just east of New Orleans' downtown, and across the Mississippi River ship channel from Algiers on the West Bank. It was operated by Mr. Greco." ¶ chips shipped to U. Coen and Co., New Orleans, La, June 6, 1927. |
$35.00 |
| US-17 |
|
Jos. S. Bauer/Arrowhead Club |
the chips were shipped to "J.S. Bauer, Cinti, Ohio" in 1926. Bauer ran the club, which was in the suburbs of Cincinnati, until 1937 when he was killed. On the chip is apparently the back of a playing card which has on it two torches, two spades and the initials "J.S.B." | $14.00 |
US-71 |
|
Gun Store, 8 FT. |
¶ blue (chips have slight burns on the edges at places, usually on one side; attractive chips, though -- you have to look close to see anything untoward). ¶ In 1938 shipped to California Notion & Toy Co., San Francisco, Calif. (probably for one of their customers who ordered the chips through them). |
$65.00 |
| US-33 |
|
Lake Shore Country Club, Chicago
Ill.
|
red, white and yellow- very fine condition.........the chips were shipped May 8, 1922, to Mandel Bros., Chicago, for this very prestigious country club, which is now located in a Chicago suburb, Glencoe. The Club still uses this logo today. | $110.00 |
| US-37 |
|
Mexican Flag/Indian Symbols |
colors: brown and gold -- each side
is a different image. Chips shipped to Int'l. B & B Co., El Paso, Texas, Oct. 12, 1917. Images are national symbols of Mexico. One side shows eagle on a cactus holding snake in its beak -- from an Indian legend about the founding of Mexico City, and now on the Mexican flag! |
$60.00 |
US-70 |
|
McA |
¶ green. ¶ chips sent in 1936 to W. E. Pinch, Lewiston, Idaho. W. E. Pinch could have been the store that ordered the chips for a customer. Who knows? |
$50.00 |
| US-61 |
|
P-in-Diamond (sold, 12/02) | ¶ blue. (Both chips are serrated.)
¶ excellent. ¶ 1928 shipped to J K Hornbein Co., Los Angeles Calif. |
$20 (sold) |
| US-62 |
|
Quail sold |
¶ blue ¶ excellent ¶ 1930 shipped to Sterling E. Edmunds, St. Louis MO. |
$150. sold |
| US-63 |
|
Rudy Klune sold |
¶ yellow ¶ used, but would look great cleaned. Nick on edge on one side; can't see it from other side. ¶ 1923 shipped to Louis S. Cohn Co., Butte, Mont. |
$65 sold |
| US-21 |
|
Seventh Assembly Democratic
Club sold
|
shipped April 1923 to New York Office | $200.00 sold |
| US-22 |
|
Sailing Ship | have chips in white (burn on one side) and blue (excellent)., and yellow, and pink.........shipped to Drake and Co., Kansas City, 1926. These chips are not as rare as the others listed here; they were probably used as generic poker chips in many parts of the country. Still, I consider them uncommon. | $9.00 each |
| US-27 |
|
Shriner | have chips in yellow and green........ Ordered by Buckingham Ensley Carrigan Co., Memphis, Tenn.; shipped February 1924. Note: this is a particularly beautiful chip, both as to design and condition. Much fine detail, such as head of Pharaoh, hard to see in small scan. bigger picture | $40.00 each |
| US-45 |
|
S.S. Tango sold |
chip made with serrated edge; actual color is yellow; boat and waves are green........famous off-shore gambling boat, operated out of Long Beach CA, 1931-39.......chips shipped to Noll and Co. (the gambling supply house), Los Angeles CA, July 2, 1936 | $40.00 sold |
| US-43 |
|
Stray Antlers, McGill, Nevada |
each side is different; the reverse side has the familiar elks head common to many BPOE chips.........Card Room (illegal club? Elks Club?) before gambling was legalized in Nevada in 1931.....shipped Feb. 21, 1927 to McGill Drug Co., Inc., McGill, Nevada.....The Chip Rack (2000) calls the place Stray Antlers Elks Club and values the chip $100-$124. | $80.00 sold out Dec 2001 |
| US-44 |
|
Three Boys Chewing Tobacco or Gum
|
I have one last chip for sale -- a yellow one (not the one pictured to the left); it has a burn near the rim on one side; the other side has a small burn on the inlay; that burn goes clear through the inlay. Return privileges, as with all of my sales. .....shipped to "N.Y. Office" in 1924......The boy on the right is putting something into his mouth and handing something to the other boys. | $100.00 |
| US-29 |
|
Twenty | Ordered by B. C. Wills & Co., Detroit, Mich., Feb. 27, 1934 | $15.00 |
| US-25 |
|
Walker's Saloon | have chips in red, white and blue; small burns................Chips were shipped in 1929 to Louis S Cohn Co., Butte, Mont. They have been attributed to the Walker’s Saloon, also in Butte……..Note: the monogram is the Old English "W", not "M." | $25.00
each |
| US-65 |
|
Wallace Corner, Idaho sold |
¶ blue-gray ¶ used, otherwise it would look great cleaned. ¶ used in illegal club in Wallace, Idaho. ¶ 1937 shipped to Wallace Corner Co., Inc., Wallace, Idaho. |
$25.00 sold |
US-76 |
|
Chicago Club, Chicago IL |
¶ white, blue. ¶ about 1912 (see link below). ¶ this is one of the most influential and exclusive clubs in the United States. Read this interesting account of the chips and the club, taken from one of my eBay auctions. |
$65.00 |