Archie Black
Archie Black is known as the founder of the Casino Chips and Gaming Tokens Collectors Club. His background was in coins, tokens and medals collecting having held office in several numismatic organizations on the local, state and regional level. He became involved in collecting gaming material when the first casino, Resorts International, opened in Atlantic City on May 26, 1978.
In 1986-1987, a few chip-collecting friends from around the country were corresponding back and forth with each other. The group promptly grew to a couple dozen pen pals. Instead of writing individually to each one of them, Archie began publishing an informal newsletter on his word processor (he wasn't yet computer literate!) to send to all of them at the same time. A suggestion was made that he organize a chip and token collectors club since he had prior experience holding office in several coin and token clubs.
The first organizational meeting was held in Cincinnati, Ohio at the American Numismatic Association's Annual Convention in 1988, where Black was elected President of the then-small club that has exploded today to more than 2,800 worldwide members. He served CC>CC as founding President for eleven consecutive years, was also the organization's First Newsletter Editor for several early years and the club's first Convention Chairman in 1992 and 1993 - held at the old Aladdin Hotel Casino in Las Vegas. He served as Chairman of the Hall of Fame Committee for two years.
Black is the author of two widely accepted standard reference catalogs, Black's Catalog of Atlantic City Casino Chips & Gaming Tokens, first published in 1990 and revised each year through 2001. The 1990 Edition was the first fully illustrated chip catalog in the hobby that featured full-color illustrations of chips. In 1999 Black published a companion catalog, also fully illustrated, Black's Catalog of Puerto Rico Casino Chips. He also runs a new issue service for Atlantic City chips and tokens.
Archie retired in 1996 after 38 years with Bell Atlantic, and lives with his wife Brenda in Brick Township and in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
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