What a rare piece of history! Appears someone didn’t get their free drink one night. This piece will only increase in value upon the 2026 opening of the WALDORF ASTORIA LAKE TAHOE resort - formerly the Tahoe Biltmore (1946), Cal-Neva Biltmore (1951), Nevada Lodge (1958), then back to Tahoe Biltmore (1985).

Obverse:

“NEVADA CLUB” “RENO” “GOOD FOR A DRINK” with a detailed cowboy mascot in center

Reverse:

“NEVADA LODGE” “LAKE TAHOE” with three detailed evergreen trees in center

Appears to be tinted aluminum

History time. In 1946, Joseph Blumfield built the TAHOE BILTMORE. Sanford “Sandy” Adler, who owned the Cal-Neva Lodge at the same time, bought it five years later in 1951 and renamed it CAL-NEVA BILTMORE. It sold again a year later in 1951 to three new owners: David Crow, Eddie Hopple, and Jacki Gonn.

In 1956, Joby Lewis built a casino adjacent to the west side of the Cal-Neva Biltmore and called it Lewis’ Monte Carlo.

In 1958, after 12 years in the business, the Cal-Neva Biltmore was remodeled and renamed the NEVADA LODGE by Meta and Lincoln Fitzgerald. In 1959, the Fitzgeralds purchased Lewis’ Monte Carlo and combined it with the Nevada Lodge.

The Fitzgeralds were fascinating owners of the Biltmore. Lincoln Fitzgerald came to Reno in 1946 from Detroit, MI. Fitzgerald is credited with being the first individual to put a restaurant in a casino in Reno, NV.

Rumors said that Fitzgerald was a former member of the Purple Gang from Detroit. This was never proven, but he was shot twice while in Reno by an unknown assailant. Interestingly, Fitzgerald requested that the police not investigate “the incident”.

One last note of interest is the past of the upstairs Nevada Room. Stars like Phyllis Diller (who startled tourists and locals alike with her green hair), Helen O’Connell, Rowan and Martin, and Rudy Vallee, all performed in the Nevada Room. It didn’t stop there—Soupy Sales and Regis Philbin also appeared in the Nevada Room.

In 1985, the Nevada Lodge was purchased by Tahoe Crystal Bay, Inc. In 1986, the Nevada Lodge reverted back to its original name, the Tahoe Biltmore.

Fast forward to present day… in 2026, this iconic spot becomes the WALDORF ASTORIA LAKE TAHOE.