This chip has been discussed on the board before. I have been in touch with Ernest Marquez, who has spent 10 years researching the gambling ships that operated off the California coast in the 1930’s. His book on them will be a must read for Ca and illegal collectors as soon as it is finished.

The MSC chips were delivered to the Muskogee Social Club in 1930, 1,000 chips, 1 year before the Monte Carlo sailed. Also an Auto Park in LA Ca in 1938, 2 years after the Monte Carlo sank, 500 chips. Total 6 colors, no green. There are no connections between the 2 men that received these chips and the Monte Carlo, that can be found to date. 6 colors, 1,500 chips are just about enough to operate a poker game, if you put the 2 orders together. BTW, there were no green chips in either order. A 3rd order was delivered somewhere.

Quote Ernest Marquez:
I am still not convinced the chips with MSC were really used on board. I have
no proof only a feeling based on my research of the owners and the type of
gambling ship the Monte Carlo was. The Monte Carlo opened for business off
Long Beach, California, May 7, 1932. It was reachable by water taxi from
the dock at 1375 West Seventh Street, Long Beach. The owners were Ed V.
Turner, a gambler and Marvin "Doc" Schouweiler, a rumrunner during
prohibition and a partner in the Johanna Smith the first real gambling ship
that opened in 1927.

The life of the Monte Carlo ended January 1, 1936 when she broke her anchor
chains in a terrific storm New Years Eve night. The storm washed the
concrete hulled vessel ashore. She beached on the Silver Strand near the
Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego. The waves completely wrecked the wooden
structure housing the gambling casino and washed it and all the furniture,
gambling equipment, etc. ashore. The concrete hull broke in half thus
ending any hope to float her away. The hull slowly sank into the sand and
is still there today. A storm during El Nino in 1983 uncovered her and she
has risen to the surface a couple times since then.

The Monte Carlo was no small enterprise. It was the biggest and best at the time she was operating. I can't help but wonder if they would use such plain chips in such a first class casino.

From the very beginning I have been skeptical regarding the MSC chips. I would be most grateful if you would keep me informed as to the identity of the chips. Sometimes chips become what collectors want them to be rather than what they originally were. Sorry I can't be more positive but I won't guess or insist something is this or that when I don't know for sure. Ernie

I don't know, at this late date, of any way to prove the MSC chips were used on the gambling ship Monte Carlo. I have photographs of a raid on the Monte Carlo showing the authorities putting chips into canvas sacks. They are at the roulette table and all the chips look like TR King's standard wheel chips with a "club" pattern. They were of various colors. I have made close-up enlargements of these photographs.

From the very beginning I have been skeptical regarding the MSC black chips. A chip collector gave me one along with the note supposedly authenticating them. What really bothers me is MSC does not mean anything. The ship was known as S.S. Monte Carlo. That name appeared on everything. You can assume the MC stands for Monte Carlo, but what does the S mean? The owners name was Ed V. Turner. The address stamped on the green chips is the correct address for the dock where the water taxi office to the Monte Carlo was located. If they were stamped with that address so one would know where the chips were to go possibly, they were samples. I really don't know and I have not found anyone alive today that could have been on the ship to authenticate them. I have talked to several dealers who worked on the gambling ships, but unfortunately they are in their eighties and their memory is not as sharp as one would like. After all, how can you remember details about something that happened over sixty years ago?

The Monte Carlo was no small enterprise. It was the biggest and best at the time she was operating. I can't help but wonder if they would use such plain chips in such a first class casino. The Tango was operating at the same time and they used the Tango chips we find today. Also, keep in mind that the gambling ships used silver dollars as the main chip for betting. When the authorities raided and closed the ships in 1939 the Tango and Mount Baker had over $75,000 in silver dollars on board. They figured it was more than a ton in weight.

However, I am going to use the green and black MSC chips as illustrations in my book but will have to state that there is the possibility they were not actually used on board. At least some words to that effect.
I have memorabilia from the Monte Carlo, advertising, matchbooks, dice, etc. and all are first class designs. The interior of the ship is extremely impressive and the dining room had crystal and linen table settings. I could send you some xerox copies of the photographs if you would like to see. I would be most grateful if you would keep me informed as to the identity of the chips. Sometimes chips become what collectors want them to be rather than what they originally were. Sorry I can't be more positive but I won't guess or insist something is this or that when I don't know for sure. Ernie