Dice, like Poker Chips, came in all sizes and were made from various types of materials. Dice ranged from a simple pair of hand-carved bone made on the battlefield during the Civil War, which provided a diversion for the men when not in battle, to a pair of fancy scrimshawed ivory dice carried by a Professional Gambler or Sharper.  Dice were small enough that they could be carried in a vest pocket or even as a watch fob.  

 Because dice were so convenient, a Real Money Craps game, during slow periods of a given day could break out at the bar, the  general store or even the barbers. Just about any place men gathered a game was possible and more time then not, it did  happen. Dice have been used throughout Asia since before recorded history. The oldest known dice were excavated as part of  a 5000-year-old backgammon set, at the Burnt City archeological site in south-eastern Iran. Excavations from ancient tombs in  the Harappan civilization, seem to further indicate a South Asian origin. Dicing is mentioned as an Indian game in the  Rig Veda,  Atharva Veda and Buddha games list. It is also mentioned in the great Hindu epic, the Mahabharata, where Yudhisthira plays a  game of dice against the Kauravas for the Northern Kingdom of Hastinapura.