the first AA group to use chips (yup these are the ones) for time awards for months of sobriety was located in Portland, Maine. If I remember right it was circa 1954 and the Burt Company was also located in Portland, Maine at the same time. AA shows no history of this design as a logo before that time and actually not much history at all before that time. I have more of the specifics in my notes at home but you get the idea.