What Were Poker Chips Made of Before Plastic?

Poker chips have been a staple of gambling culture for centuries. They are an essential part of any game of poker or any other casino game.

Poker chips have evolved over time, and they have been made from various materials. But what were poker chips made of before plastic became the standard material for making them?

The earliest form of poker chips used in the 1800s was made from clay. These clay chips were handmade, and each one had a unique design.

The designs would be stamped onto the clay using a mold, and then they would be left to dry in the sun. The colors used on these clay chips were limited to red, blue, and yellow.

PRO TIP:Historically, poker chips were made out of clay, ivory, wood, and metal. Clay was the most common material used to make poker chips and it was usually moulded into a disk shape with an inlay that featured the value of the chip. Ivory chips were also popular and were often decorated with intricate designs. Wood chips had a rectangular shape but could be painted or printed with a design. Lastly, metal chips were usually made from brass or copper and could be engraved with a denomination or logo.

As technology advanced, manufacturers started using ivory for making poker chips. Ivory was a popular material because it was easy to carve and had a beautiful texture. However, ivory was expensive and difficult to obtain, which made it an impractical material for mass production.

In the late 19th century, manufacturers started using bone as a cheaper alternative to ivory. Bone poker chips were made by grinding down animal bones into a powder and then mixing them with an adhesive material. This mixture was then molded into chip shapes and allowed to harden.

The use of bone poker chips continued until the early 20th century when manufacturers started using celluloid as a substitute for bone. Celluloid is a synthetic plastic that was invented in 1870 by John Wesley Hyatt. It became popular because it could be molded into any shape, it was lightweight, durable, and cheap.

Celluloid poker chips were produced in large quantities from the early 1900s until the mid-1900s when they were replaced by plastic chips. Plastic chips are still widely used today because they are cheaper to produce than other materials, they are lightweight, and they come in many different colors.

In conclusion, before plastic became the standard material for making poker chips, they were made from clay, ivory, bone, and celluloid. Each material had its advantages and disadvantages, but they all played an important role in the evolution of poker chips. Today, plastic chips are the most common type of poker chip used in casinos and home games.