I have talked to many old timers concerning the chips they used in older casinos.

Concerning initial chips:
When asked to describe the chips they used, many can not or give vague descriptions of denoms and colors.
After that, you show them the chip you are talking about, 99% will say thats it. Sometimes I have shown them the wrong chip on purpose.

The initials on the Harolds chips can not be twisted into any wording that makes sense.