Royal Nevada Hotel Casino Chips
Opened from 1955-1959.
Image |
Denomination |
Mold |
Date |
Price |
Notes |
Purchase |
 |
$25.00 |
HUB |
1955 |
$55.00 |
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The dream Royal Nevada was owned and built by Frank Fishman, and
operated by Easterners Albert B. Moll, Herman E. Kohen, Joe Leibman
and Sid Wyman. Architect Paul Williams was working with
architect/engineer John Replogle on the low-rise motel tradition.
The Royal Nevada featured a curving entry canopy and a large
fountain-like sculpture of neon.
The Royal Nevada opened north of the New
Frontier on April 19, 1955, as the "Showplace of Showtown, U.S.A."
The resort's crowning glory was the crown which sat on top of the
resort.
Opening night entertainment was provided by
opera star Helen Traubel in the hotel's magnificent Crown Room. The
opening was attended by the mass with Mayor Baker in attendance. The
night before the opening, atomic soldiers were treated to a
pre-opening party.
Two other resorts opened within one month
of the Royal Nevada - Riviera and Dunes.
Sometime in late 1955, Fishman signed a
temporary lease on the resort with Jake Kosloff.
In 1956, the Royal Nevada obtained new
operators. They were T.W. Richardson, W.A. Simonds, and Maurice
Friedman, who were all licensees in the New Frontier, and Harry
Oedekerk, a Los Angeles manufacturer.
On July 26, 1956, The State Gaming Control
board deferred action on an application for a license for the new
set of operators of the Royal Nevada. It is unclear as to whether
the Royal Nevada ever obtained a license under the new operators.
The resort held a men's shop owned by
Charlie Rosson and Bertie Kay the salesman.
It was mentioned that the Desert Inn saved
the resort by purchasing it and obtaining the necessary licenses but
to no avail.
The Royal Nevada was plagued with
financial problems from the start. For a short period of time, Las
Vegas experienced financial troubles, due in part to the national
economic recession and overbuilding. It was the only time in Las
Vegas' postwar history in which the availability of rooms exceeded
the number of visitors.
For the established hotels, the problem
was not so severe as for those starting out. Although the Riviera
and Dunes suffered, only the Royal Nevada did not live through Las
Vegas' dark days. This resort was the only one to disappear
completely, swallowed in 1959 by the Stardust becoming the
Stardust's Convention Center. The architect and interior decorator
for the evolution was Jac Lessman. In June of 1959, Stardust was
deciding whether to call it Stardust South or Stardust Coliseum.
Somehow, Stardust Convention Center became the name.
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