Chip Talk

by Allan Myers

Allan Myers' Chip Talk, October, 1999
What is a Crest & Seal Chip?

There have been many questions lately concerning Crest & Seal Chips. What are they? What is the “crest”? What is the “seal”? Where and when were they made? I will try to answer these questions.

They have been called Crest & Seal, Crest or Seal, Seal & Crest and Seal or Crest. These “Cadillac” of all composition gambling chips, were originally made by the United States Playing Card Co. (U.S.P.C.), in Cincinnati, OH, from c.1907. U.S.P.C. continues to manufacture playing cards and other items but ceased making chips about 1947 when their molds were purchased by The Burt Co.

The Burt Co. was started as The Portland Billiard Ball Co., in Portland, ME, in 1912 by Alonzo Burt. The Burt Co. had produced C&S chips both before and after buying the U.S.P.C. molds in 1947. In about 1985, John Kendall, a manager with the firm, bought The Burt Co. Jim Blanchard, the production manager at Burt, bought the molds and opened his own company, Atlantic Standard Molding. John Kendall named his company, Chipco International. The information in this paragraph is courtesy of Eugene Trimble.

Instead of trying to define the meaning of the term, “Crest & Seal” in my own words, I am enclosing a page from The Burt Co., courtesy of Dale Seymour. This gives you the meaning of a C&S chip direct from the words of The Burt Co.

There are chips presently being made by Bud Jones, mostly roulettes, that are similar to Crest & Seals, except that there is no “seal.” You can feel the edge of the inlay by running your fingernail across the chip surface. You can not feel the inlay on a C&S chip.

For bragging rights, I am showing 150 chips from my collection as examples of Crest & Seal chips. Only one color or denomination of each example will be pictured, unless the reverse needs to be shown, as in Number 79 & 80.

I have identified and dated the specimens when that information was known to me. Confirmation of the U.S.P.C. information is from actual labeled photographs taken at the company, by and courtesy, of Howard Herz. Some labels from the photographs give the person or company ordering the chips, but not the casino or club name, nor the location where they were used. I welcome any additional information that you may have regarding these chips.

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  1. 10—Shipped to Louis Roth, Cincinnati, OH 1928 USPC
  2. 20---1934 USPC
  3. No information
  4. 21 W. Elizabeth St.--- Detroit, MI 1923 Owner—John J. Ryan USPC
  5. USPC
  6. 49 Camp---3305 E. 14th St., Oakland, CA 1931-1946 Eastman, Larry
  7. Asian—No information
  8. Asian—Sacramento, CA
  9. Asian—No information
  10. Asian—1931 USPC
  11. Asian—No information
  12. ACH/HAK—The Roosevelt, 1458 Yuba St., Redding CA 1947-1953 USPC
  13. AC—Agua Caliente, Tijuana, Mexico 1928-1935 USPC
  14. AG—Artistica Gallego, Montanea, Cuba 1931 USPC
  15. AG---Artistica Gallego, Montanea, Cuba 1931 USPC
  16. AG---Goodman’s Smoke Shop, Great Falls, MT 1937 USPC
  17. Annapolis Yacht Club---Annapolis, MD 1930’s
  18. Anona Cigar—No information
  19. APB Smoke Shop---Raymond, WA 1930’s
  20. Arid Club---Boise, ID 1936, Shipped to J. Weil & Co. USPC


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  1. AS Club---Atlas Sport Club, Shipped to Langworthy Co., 1937 USPC
  2. Balinese Room---2107 Seawall Blvd., Galveston, TX 1942-1957
  3. Beavers Club---Memphis, TN 1912 USPC
  4. BMcL---Shipped to Charles M. Hancher, Wheeling, WV 1923 USPC
  5. Breakers Club---The Breakers, Shipped to Los Angeles, CA 1926 USPC
  6. Brown’s (Casino)—French Lick, IN c.1910-1940’s (Palmer Cox “Brownie” Cartoon)
  7. C 1933 (ordered 1000 of each color) USPC
  8. CAC---Cleveland Athletic Club, Cleveland, OH 1926-1937 USPC
  9. Cal-Neva---Crystal Bay, NV 1937 USPC
  10. Calif.-Games Equip.-Co.---Sacramento, CA 1916-1940
  11. CC—Chesterfield Club, Detroit, MI 1936 Owner—Lincoln Fitzgerald USPC
  12. CCA---Casino Cubano Austuaino, Santiago, Cuba 1931-1959 USPC
  13. CCC—No information
  14. CCDM—Club Casa del Mar, Los Angeles, CA 1925 USPC
  15. Charlevoix Club JK---Charlevoix, MI 1919 USPC
  16. Chesterfield (Club)—Detroit, MI 1936 Owner—Lincoln Fitzgerald USPC
  17. Choctaw Club of Louisiana—Gretna, LA 1931 USPC
  18. Christiania, The---Sun Valley, ID 1937-1948 USPC
  19. Clarkston Golf & Country Club---Clarkston, WA 1930’s
  20. Club 25---Butte, MT


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  1. Club Saint Denis---Montreal, Quebec, Canada 1911 USPC
  2. Club, The (The Cotton Club)—Deer Lodge, MT 1930’s
  3. Cortez—Shipped to Los Angeles, CA 1928 USPC
  4. Country Club (Stateline C. C.)—Stateline, NV 1935 USPC
  5. D---1933 (ordered 2000 chips) USPC
  6. D---1935 USPC
  7. Dallas Country Club—Dallas, TX 1929-1940’s USPC
  8. DC (Diamond Club)—Montauk, NY 1929-1939 Run by Gambino & Anastasia families
  9. Dennis (Artichoke Joe’s)---San Bruno, CA 1916 USPC
  10. DTC—Shipped to Mandel Bros., Chicago, IL 1920 USPC
  11. Dunes—Las Vegas, NV 1950’s Burt Co.
  12. Eagles/Highland Aerie 449---Norwood, OH 1928 USPC
  13. EC (Empire Club)—E. St. Louis, IL 1938 USPC
  14. EGB—No information
  15. El Cortez—600 E. Fremont St., Las Vegas, NV 1941 Burt Co.
  16. ELCC or LECC---Shipped to H.C. Evans Co. Chicago, IL 1915 USPC
  17. B.P.O.E. 99 (Elks)—Los Angeles, CA 1927 USPC
  18. B.P.O.E. 444 (Elks)—Huron, SD
  19. B.P.O.E. 1673 (Elks)—Tooele, UT
  20. B.P.O.E. 674 (Elks)---Pocatello, ID 1934 USPC


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  1. Elks Club 357---Eugene, OR 1913 USPC
  2. Empire Club---No information
  3. EP—1930 USPC
  4. Excelsior Club, The—Cleveland, OH 1872-1930 Ordered 1922 USPC
  5. F.C.---Butte, MT 1930’s
  6. FB (Frank’s Bavarian Inn)—150 N. Main St., Salinas, CA 1931 USPC
  7. Floridian Casino—Floridian Hotel, Miami Beach, FL 1929 USPC
  8. Fortune Club---Reno, NV 1937 USPC
  9. Frontier Nights—Cheyenne, WY (Souvenir chip) 1931
  10. FWTA, The (The Far Western Traveler’s Assn.)---New York, NY 1921 USPC
  11. Shipped to G. Larranega, Nogales, AZ 1928 USPC
  12. GC—Shipped to H.C. Evans Co., Chicago, IL 1927 USPC
  13. GCC—1931 Ordered 6000 chips USPC
  14. Gran Casino—Havana, Cuba 1921 USPC
  15. Great Provider---attributed to Reno, NV 1930’s Burt Co.
  16. Green Mill Inn---Arabi, LA 1927 USPC
  17. Greyhound Club—Jeffersonville, IN 1935 USPC
  18. H.D.C. (Hollywood Dinner Club)---Galveston, TX 1927 Owners—Sam & Rose Maceo USPC
  19. International B&B Club---El Paso, TX 1917 USPC
  20. International B&B Club—Reverse side of chip #79


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  1. Jake’s Place J.V.---Aberdeen, WA 1930’s-1950’s Owner—Jake N. Vohns USPC
  2. JCD---Shipped to Von Lengerke & Antoine, Chicago, IL 1927 USPC
  3. Joe Miller 885 Chicago 1920’s-1930’s
  4. JSB (Joe S. Bauer)---Owner Arrowhead Club, Branch Hill, OH 1926 USPC
  5. JWR—No information
  6. KAC (Keystone Athletic Club)---Pittsburgh, PA 1928 USPC
  7. KC (Kansas City Athletic Club)—Kansas City, MO 1924 USPC
  8. MAK?---1927 USPC
  9. Menlo Club ER—Menlo Park, CA USPC
  10. N Club B—No information
  11. Nelle Ashby—No information
  12. New Southport Club---New Orleans, LA 1932-1962 USPC
  13. Northern Club—Seattle, WA 1923 USPC
  14. NWSC (North West Social Club)—Emeryville, CA 1930’s
  15. Old Southport—Metairie, LA 1936 USPC
  16. ONF---No information
  17. Owl’s Nest---Framingham, ME 1911 USPC
  18. P---Shipped to J.K. Hornbein, Los Angeles, CA 1928 USPC
  19. P---Shipped to J.K. Hornbein, Los Angeles, CA 1928 USPC
  20. PC---No Information


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  1. PJS (Peter J. Sullivan---Riley’s Lake House) Saraatoga Springs, NY 1926
  2. Pluto---French Lick, IN 1920’s-1940’s (Have matching ashtray)
  3. QC—No information
  4. RE ? NO---Reno, NV Commemorative 1932 (2000 made) USPC
  5. RH---1911 No information
  6. RL---No information
  7. SC---1926 USPC
  8. Seventh Assembly Democratic Club---1923 USPC
  9. S.I. (Southport Inn)—Jefferson Parish, LA 1929 USPC
  10. Sphinx---Attributed to Reno, NV
  11. Sphinx---Attributed to Reno, NV
  12. Sphinx---Attributed to Reno, NV
  13. Sportsman---No information
  14. S.S. Rex---Santa Monica, CA 1938 USPC
  15. S.S. Tango---Long Beach, CA 1932-1939 (C&S chips—1936) USPC
  16. Stagecoach Inn---W. Yellowstone, MT
  17. Stray Antlers---McGill, NV 1927 USPC
  18. Stray Antlers---Reverse side of chip #117
  19. Sui Jen---Galveston, TX 1932 Owners—Sam & Rose Maceo
  20. TC---No information


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  1. TC---No information
  2. Toohey Bros.---Butte, MT 1929 USPC
  3. University Club---Birmingham, AL 1911 USPC
  4. Wallace Corner---Wallace, ID 1937 USPC
  5. WW (Walker’s Saloon)---Butte, MT 1926 USPC
  6. WW (Walker’s Saloon)---Butte, MT 1929 USPC
  7. Y Club---San Francisco, CA 1930’s
  8. Arab on Horseback---No information
  9. Shield---No information
  10. Star & Wreath---No information
  11. Star & Wreath---No information
  12. Fleur de Lis & Maltese Cross---No information
  13. Star & Crescent—No information
  14. Crown---No information
  15. Crown---No information
  16. Crown---No information
  17. Ship---1926 USPC
  18. Palms---1925 USPC
  19. Flag---No information
  20. Flags---No information


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  1. Buffalo---No information
  2. Moose---No information
  3. Elk---No information
  4. Elk---No information
  5. Rin Tin Tin
  6. Lion---No information
  7. Cowboy on Bronco---Cheyenne Cigar Store Cheyenne, WY 1928 USPC
  8. Horse Head in Horseshoe---No information
  9. Diamond---No information
  10. Spade---No information
  11. Desert Scene---1937 USPC


Allan Myers
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