Swastika designs

A swastika often appeared on greeting cards, birthday cards and even playing cards in the years before it became associated with the German Nazi party during the 1930s and acquired sinister connotations. Until that time it was seen as symbolising good luck or anything auspicious. It has been found on artefacts since before Neolithic times.

Swastika design playing cards by De La Rue, c.1925Swastika design playing cards, De La Rue, c.1925 Swastika design playing-cards by De La Rue, c.1925 Swastika design playing-cards by Chas Goodall & Sons, c.1925

Above: Swastika design playing cards manufactured by De La Rue & Co., mid-to-late 1920s, featuring the earlier version of the De La Rue Joker as a double-ended jester with a bauble. The swastika is/was a good luck symbol and it appears facing either direction. Packs with swastikas are also known to have been made for Kendal Milne, an up-market department store in Manchester. Several fortune-telling packs have a swastika on them somewhere - including the Subject card of the Goodall Rameses pack. Thanks to Ken Lodge for comments. Images courtesy David Manners.

Right: boxed set of playing cards with swastika designs on the reverse manufactured by Chas Goodall & Sons around the same period. Image courtesy Sandra Ekelund.