The World of Playing Cards Logo
Published September 30, 2010 Updated May 16, 2023

Pedro Bosio

Cards of the Spanish National Pattern 'Money Bag' type manufactured by Pedro Bosio, Genova (Italy) probably during the 18th century and for export to Spain or South America.

Italy Latin America Bosio History Spanish Suited Add to Collection
Pedro Bosio Money Bag

Pedro Bosio, Genova

Spanish National Pattern / “Money Bag” Type

Italian cardmakers enjoyed lucrative trade manufacturing Spanish-suited cards for the Spanish-speaking world including South America. The variant of the Spanish National pattern shown here, known as the Money Bag pattern, is so-named bacause the Sota of Coins carries a money bag in his right hand. Whilst retaining most of the characteristics of earlier designs, it has several idiosyncrasies which differentiate it. The Ace of Coins has a central disc enclosing an eagle with the arms of Spain, with baroque cartouches above and below which read “Pedro Bosio Estanquero In Ghenova”. As in earlier models, the Five of Coins features the facing profiles of Ferdinand and Isabella, and the Four of Coins has a six-pointed star which contains the initials P.B. This derivative of the Spanish National pattern seems to have had a history outside of Spain itself and this example, originally produced in Italy, has come to light in a Chilean collection.

Pedro Bosio Estanquero, Genova Pedro Bosio, Estanquero, Genova Pedro Bosio, Estanquero, Ghenova

Above: cards manufactured by Pedro Bosio, Genova (Italy) during the 18th century and probably for export to Spain, the Philippines or South America. The Ace of Coins has the arms of Spain. The design corresponds closely to the Spanish National pattern, and specifically to the variant known as the ‘Money Bag’ type owing to the Jack of Coins holding a money bag (top row). The cavalier of cups lacks the usual inscription of ‘Ahí Va’. The cards are printed from woodblocks and hand-coloured using stencils. The backs are decorated with a pattern of ermine spots in black.


Pack made in Italy for the Spanish market

The ace of coins has the arms of Spain with cartouches with "Po Bosio. Sstanovero in Gnenov". The 2 of coins has "Naipes Finos" and on the 4 a double triangle with the initials P.B.

cards by Pedro Bosio, Genoa, 18th Century © The Trustees of the British Museum cards by Pedro Bosio, Genoa, 18th Century © The Trustees of the British Museum

Above: cards by Pedro Bosio, Genoa, from 48-card pack, hand-coloured woodcut, backs printed in black with a pattern of ermine spots, 18th Century. Card size = 58x88 mm. © The Trustees of the British Museum number 1896,0501.821

Reference: see ‘Spanish 22’ in: O’Donoghue, Freeman M: Catalogue of the collection of playing cards bequeathed by Lady Charlotte Schreiber, Trustees of the British Museum, London, 1901 [digital version here]

See another example by Pedro Bosio. See also: Giuseppe Cattino   ‘Money Bag’ type by Agostino Bergallo and Hermanos Solesio.

avatar
1,433 Articles

By Simon Wintle

Member since February 01, 1996

Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.


Related Articles

Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Hearts

Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Hearts

A limited edition art print of the Jack of Hearts 1984 woodblock joker.

Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Clubs

Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Clubs

A limited edition art print of the Jack of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.

Woodblock and Stencil Queen of Clubs

Woodblock and Stencil Queen of Clubs

A limited edition art print of the Queen of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.

Woodblock and Stencil King of Diamonds

Woodblock and Stencil King of Diamonds

A limited edition art print of the King of Diamonds 1984 woodblock joker.

1977 Lo Stampatore

Lo Stampatore

‘Lo Stampatore’ linocut images created by Sergio Favret, published as a deck of cards by Editions So...

2015 Leonardo collection

Leonardo collection

Leonardo collection playing cards with drawings from his notebooks.

1981 Lo Cartescacco / Chess playing cards

Lo Cartescacco / Chess playing cards

Playing cards designed by F. Romagnoli bringing together Chess and Bridge, Italy, c. 1981.

1986 Peintres Latino Americains

Peintres Latino Americains

Original artwork by 18 different Latin American artists.

1989 Il Vostro Destino

Il Vostro Destino

Italian fortune-telling pack produced by Viassone and later by Masenghini.

1978 San Paolo Shakespeare

San Paolo Shakespeare

San Paolo Shakespeare, Italy, 1978

1993 Le Carte di Forattini

Le Carte di Forattini

Political caricatures by Giorgio Forattini published by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Italy, 1993.

1983 San Paolo Chekhov

San Paolo Chekhov

Characters from Chekhov’s plays designed by Paolo Fresu for San Paolo Istituto Bancario, Italy, c.19...

Storia del Fascismo - gioco di carte

Storia del Fascismo - gioco di carte

‘Storia del Fascismo’ playing cards depicting persons, symbols and artifacts associated with Italian...

2003 The Lovers playing cards

The Lovers playing cards

Reproductions of old postcards with romantic messages for Valentine’s Day.

1985 I Gatti Originali di Evelyne Nicod

I Gatti Originali di Evelyne Nicod

Etchings of cats on a set of major arcana created by Evelyne Nicod.

1978 Carte Osteologiche

Carte Osteologiche

Skulls and bones of all descriptions have become the suits and pips in this 40-card pack from Italy....

1973 Marcello Morandini

Marcello Morandini

Modern designs by Italian artist Marcello Morandini using the simplest of forms and colours.

1816 Spanish-suited deck by J.Y. Humphreys

Spanish-suited deck by J.Y. Humphreys

A rare Spanish-suited deck published by J.Y. Humphreys, Philadelphia, c.1816.

1989 Storia del Fascismo

Storia del Fascismo

Published by Il Meneghello, this pack provides a visual history of Fascism in Italy between 1919 and...

75: Early American cards

75: Early American cards

An overview of some of the early cards made in the United States.

2021 Jack-O’-Lantern Tarot

Jack-O’-Lantern Tarot

Giuliano Costa's Jack-O’-Lantern tarot blends Rider-Waite symbolism with the rich and atmospheric th...

1984 Schwarze Katze (or Gioco del Gatto Nero)

Schwarze Katze (or Gioco del Gatto Nero)

Reproduction of a 40-card transformation pack with designs by “WS”, adapted for the game of Black Ca...

2006 Hot-Air Balloons & Co.

Hot-Air Balloons & Co.

Hot-air balloons and airships from the early days to 1988, with designs by S. Baraldi and F. Tacconi...

2000 Carte da Gioco Mongolfiere

Carte da Gioco Mongolfiere

Various hot-air balloons on a pack from a small Florentine publisher.

1975 Mercante in Fiera di Jacovitti

Mercante in Fiera di Jacovitti

Traditional Italian card game with comic designs by Benito Jacovitti.

1981 Le Nuove Minchiate di Firenze

Le Nuove Minchiate di Firenze

Costante Costantini's second Minchiate deck, “Le Nuove Minchiate di Firenze”, was published by Solle...

1906 Bolognese pattern

Bolognese pattern

Standard Bolognese pattern pack by Murari of Bari.

1980 Minchiate Fiorentine

Minchiate Fiorentine

Minchiate Fiorentine created by Costante Costantini, published by Edizioni del Solleone.

1995 I Tarocchi del Cinema (di Sesar)

I Tarocchi del Cinema (di Sesar)

A set of Tarot trumps on the subject of the cinema, with designs by Sergio Sarri.

1975 Le carte della Fortuna

Le carte della Fortuna

Modern Italian fortune-telling pack from 1975, with designs by Sergio Ruffolo.

2007 Art Nouveau Oracle

Art Nouveau Oracle

A Lenormand-type fortune-telling pack in the Art Nouveau style.

1979 Tarocco Indovino

Tarocco Indovino

Sergio Ruffolo’s “Tarocco Indovino” is an expanded version of his “Lo Zodiaco” cartomancy deck.

1986 Il Mercante in Fiera del Solleone

Il Mercante in Fiera del Solleone

Traditional Italian card game with bold designs by Costante Costantini.

1985 Venus et Cupidon

Venus et Cupidon

“Venus et Cupidon” from Costante Costantini in his distinctive woodcut style.

1970 Italia playing cards

Italia playing cards

Small, narrow cards designed by Osvaldo Menegazzi, bearing a strong resemblance to a Swedish pattern...

1971 Napoleone playing cards

Napoleone playing cards

Long, narrow cards designed by Osvaldo Menegazzi, featuring Napoleon, Josephine and various soldiers...

1976 Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico

Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico

Promotional pack for Chianti Classico wine, with designs by Costante Costantini.

1981 Burgdorf Abschreckhärtetechnik

Burgdorf Abschreckhärtetechnik

Promotional pack for a German steel hardening business, with designs by Costante Costantini.

1450 Early German playing cards

Early German playing cards

Some early examples of popular German playing cards from the XV and XVI centuries.

P. Buscaglia: Spanish-suited cards

P. Buscaglia: Spanish-suited cards

Spanish-suited cards published by P. Buscaglia, Mele & Genova.

1880 B.P. Grimaud pack for Bolivia

B.P. Grimaud pack for Bolivia

Spanish-suited pack made in France for sale in Bolivia, c.1880.

2023 Carte Bolognesi

Carte Bolognesi

New designs reinforcing Bologna’s reputation as the gastronomic capital of Italy.

2017 Le carte di Tex

Le carte di Tex

Characters from the famous Italian comic book series, Tex, created by Gian Luigi Bonelli and Aurelio...

1870 Florentine pattern variant

Florentine pattern variant

Non-standard designs by Chiari of Florence with some of the features of a traditional Florentine pat...