European Playing Cards to 1901

French Suited German Engraved cards c1610 to 1650 with English Hand Tax Stamp

32 cards engraved cards by an unknown artist from a pack of 52 – initials IS or SI. Cards are hand coloured and reflect hunting and animal scenes from the serious to the comic – don’t you just love the 10 Spades with the cat fiddling as the mice dance aground at his feet !

Commenting on the cards in the United States Playing Card Companies collection Hargrave says

“Of cards with French suit signs in these German lands, there are many. The earliest one we have is a pack of 52 cards, from coper plates and coloured by hand, and most of them bear the monogram of an unknown artist. Besides the suit signs arranged in the usual manner they picture a day’s hunting across the field and through the forests of early seventeenth century Germany. The Kings and valets are debonair gentlemen and the Queens gracious little ladies. No other example of these cards are known to exist.” She then illustrates four of them and classifies them as “Hunting series, 1610”

Virginia Wayland states in the IPCS Journal Volume XIII, No 1 [ August 1979 ] that these cards must have been seen by John Lenthall as he followed the design in his Forest Cards [ Pack No: XXII ] often reversing the image.

Uniqueness is a word we don’t often use but in addition to this decks obvious rarity it also bears an English Hand Tax Stamp of c 1712 a Red Stock in Hand Stamp which would have been applied on importation.

Condition is varied and the high definition scans of the cards reveal all.

Insured Postage is free on this item.

REF: CNE4251

£4,000.00

CLICK ANY IMAGE FOR A LARGER IMPRESSION

c1812 French Suited Piquet Playing Cards from Switzerland - D.V a Lausanne

Full pack 32/32, Piquet Pack, of Playing Cards made in Switzerland c1810. Printed from woodblocks and stenciled coloured. French suited and made by “D V a Lausanne” shown on the Jack of Clubs.[ David Vachet “Cadet”, cardmaker in Lausanne before 1850 – our thanks to Walter Haas ].

The c1812 Tax stamp, on the Ace of Hearts, is from Canton Vaud [ CANT.DE /VAUD ] [ thanks to Peter Endebrock http://www.endebrock.de/ ] and the Jack of Hearts shows the symbol of the Vaud Canton “Liberte et Patre”

The cards have plain backs and are in excellent [ 9/10 ] condition.

Insured Postage is free on this item.

REF: CNE1115

£1,600.00

CLICK ANY IMAGE FOR A LARGER IMPRESSION

c1816 Jeu des Drapeaux Playing Cards

This is a piquet deck, 32/32, playing card set of non standard format.
The cards have been cut from sheets and mounted, then bound in Morocco leather.
The cards are from the magnificent collection of Rimington-Wilson which was auctioned in the 1970s, this pack being purchased by Sylvia Mann.

See IPCS article, by Mann, A CHOICE COLLECTION OF PLAYING-CARDS

The hand coloured cards depict four armies, Hearts depict the French; Spades, the English, Scottish and Irish troops; Diamonds the German troops and Clubs the Russian soldiers. The cards are depicted on the banners carried by the soldiers.
The court cards have Queens as female figures on the flags, the Kings shows Generals and their aids and the Jacks portray single solders from their respective countries.
The Ace cards depict soldiers with cannon(s) all other cards show rows of soldiers in various positions.

Good condition throughout – scans have slight blurring due to difficulty of scanning books.

Insured Postage is free on this item.

REF:CNE5387

£600.00

CLICK ANY IMAGE FOR A LARGER IMPRESSION

c1644 Jeu de Geographie by Henry le Gras ( Geographic Playing Cards )

This is the earliest of the Geographic Playing Cards published by Henry le Gras.
They are unsuited but with indices 1 to 10. Court cards are not indexed.
All cards are hand coloured.

This pack consists of 51/52 and lacks Ace of African and title card, both present in black and white facsimile.
The cards have had borders trimmed and are mounted and bound in Red Morocco leather.
The cards are from the magnificent collection of Rimington-Wilson which was auctioned in the 1970s, this pack being purchased by Sylvia Mann.

There is very minor foxing here and there and two cards have minor surface damage, these have been scanned.
Book size
An extremely scarce 17th century example of early pictorial, non-standard playing cards.

Insured Postage is free on this item.

REF: CNE5385

£2,500.00

CLICK ANY IMAGE FOR A LARGER IMPRESSION

J Maillard & Filhos Portuguese Playing Cards c 1885

Complete pack of 32/32 very near MINT Portuguese Playing Cards manufactures in Lisboa by J Maillard & Filhos.

These Double ended cards are stencilled Coloured – the Aces portraying animals and landscapes.

The courts and Aces are really quite mendicant.

The cards have crisp square corners without Indices and measure 90 x 58mm.

Backs are dotted wavy lines – blue.

Cards are in ‘as issued’ condition – there is no box

REF: JMLB

£400.00

CLICK ANY IMAGE FOR A LARGER IMPRESSION

Official Portrait David Paris 1810 Playing Cards

Official Portrait David Paris 1810 – By David/Mongez – Imperial Eagle Watermark.

This is the first issue of Playing Cards following those made during the Revolution, a return to the Standard French suit signs – Designed by Andrieli, Jaques, Louis David, Moneez.

The 32 card deck known as the Official Portrait pack measures 82mm x 55mm with plain backs and the paper is mater marked with the Imperial Eagle

Letterpress printed and hand stencilled colouring with a clumsiness that speaks to early post revolutionary times.

The Jack of Spades lists the publisher and designers.

The condition is clean with the occasional non-distracting small foxing mark.

Insured Postage is free on this item.