Circular Coon Cards

Sutherland’s Circular Coon Cards

These unusual circular playing cards, along with an early example of ‘The Joker’, depict persons of foreign heritage in an uncomplimentary manner : a racist caricature. Possibly made during a time of segregation, the set was presumably seen as humorous and socially acceptable in those days. The lettering is ornate and curvilinear, wrapping around the Joker and ace of spades. The imagery of watermelons and flamboyant dress provides documentary evidence of popular culture, social history, stereotypes, ethnicity and national identity from that time and also illustrates how attitudes have changed.

Above: Sutherland's Circular Coon Cards, c.1880. 53 circular cardboard playing cards, full deck and a joker, printed on one side in cream and navy or red with picture of African American man in stylized period costume. Contained in circular gold enamelled metal tin, with cover showing African American child eating watermelon within a spade motif. The lid of the tin reads "Circular Playing Cards / Sutherland Circular Coon Cards / As Black as the Ace of Spades / New York / Copyright / Sole Proprietors / Hartley Bros Pty ltd / 148 Swanston St. Melbourne".   Images courtesy Linda Johnson.

Laughter and ridicule prevailed in the post-Civil War period and the first half of the twentieth century. These attitudes became embedded in the media artifacts of the time. In the early part of the twentieth century the desire to make insulting fun of black people was expressed by the so-called “coon card” craze.

See also: Master PW Circular Playing Cards • Pekka-Peli • Cir-q-lar Playing Cards • Hoechst Festal • Pharaoh Palmier Poker • El Negrito Pedro

Note from Roddy Somerville

I recently acquired an example of this pack in a tin but find that it varies slightly from the ones shown above. There is no reference to Australia on my tin, which leads me to think that it was more likely printed and published (primarily) in the USA.

I have seen dates for the pack varying from 1880 or 1885 to 1925!! 1925 is the date given in Hochman. Apart from the tin lid, the Ace of Spades in my pack is slightly different from the one you illustrate and also from the one in Hochman: mine has only 7 index markings round the edge instead of the more usual 8. - R.S

These antique playing cards come from a period when “coon songs” and minstrel imagery were mainstream entertainment. The circular cards and tin were unusual and a selling point as a clever example of late 19th-century packaging design. The very name “Coon Cards” was intended to be catchy, humorous, and marketable within a culture steeped in racial caricature.