You ever wonder how the poker chip came in use for the game of poker ? Well back in the 1800's , coins , gold nuggets and gold dust could be a might bothersome to keep up with.....not to mention that carrying it around and flashing it might be a good way to get knocked upside your head or even shot . So soon chips replaced them , as they were easier to manage. Chips were made from ivory, bone, wood, paper and a composition made from clay and shellac.

As with anything new though , cheats would try anything . The shady characters would sneak their own chips into the game. Often, the establishment would end the game with many more chips than they began. It was then that the bars and saloons started having the manufacturers  include a design to differentiate them from others places . The design could be engraved, embossed, inlaid or a paste-on sticker. Ivory chips were hand scrimshawed with numerals, initials, flowers, animals and just about any type of design.

In the 1880's  several companies started making Clay composition poker chips , and to this day they are still considered the best choice to use in my opinion. However a lot of the noobs to the game would not fork out good money on chips , so Plastics became the material of choice for less expensive home poker sets in the 1940's, and continue to be popular today. They are injection molded, long lasting, come in many designs and are easily obtained.

Source : PokerPages