Agreed, those are interesting! I can't see paying that price myself, but maybe they're worth that much to the right person who knows more about them...
The Chip Guide has them listed under The Avalon Club, Emeryville CA:
http://chipguide.themogh.org/cg_chip2.php?id=CAEMAV&v=2605949176 - along with lots of other different chips the club used over the years. Given the plainness of these chips versus the other styles one would have to guess these were among the first chips used by the club when it opened in 1949 (as per the Chip Guide).