What Are Vintage Poker Chips Made Of?

Poker chips are small, round discs used to represent money in a game of poker. They are usually made from a composite material such as clay or ceramic, and have a value printed on them.

Vintage poker chips are those that were produced before the 1950s.

The earliest poker chips were made from bone, ivory, or clay. In the early 1800s, ivory chips began to be replaced by those made from a composite material called clay.

This was because it was easier to mass-produce clay chips than it was to carve each one from ivory. Clay chips were also less expensive, making them more accessible to the average person.

During the Civil War, poker became increasingly popular, and the need for mass-produced poker chips grew. The first company to mass-produce poker chips was John Wesley Hyatt, who invented a process for creating them from celluloid.

PRO TIP:Vintage poker chips were often made of clay, celluloid (an early type of plastic), or bone/ivory. Modern chips are usually made of plastic or metal. The material used to make the chip can affect its value and collectability, so it’s important to identify which type you have when evaluating its worth.

His company, the New York Consolidated Card Company, began production in 1868.

Celluloid poker chips were much cheaper to produce than ivory or bone chips, and they could be manufactured in any color or design. This made them very popular with both professional and amateur players alike.

Unfortunately, celluloid is a highly flammable material, and there were several incidents of poker chips catching fire and causing serious injuries. As a result, production of celluloid poker chips ceased in the early 1900s.

Clay poker chips continued to be the standard until the 1950s when they were replaced by plastic ones. Plastic poker chips are cheaper to produce than clay ones, and they are less likely to break or chip during game play.

Today, most poker chips are made from plastic, although there is a growing trend among collectors and enthusiasts for vintage-style clay or ceramic chips.