Phelippe Ayet, 1574
49 assorted cards were found hidden in the lintel of a doorway, in an old building in Toledo, during demolition, and are now preserved in the the Museo de Santa Cruz de Toledo.
Facsimile of Archaic Spanish-suited playing cards.
The archaic Franco-Spanish pattern was produced and used in both France and Spain and several of the court card postures have survived in other regional patterns. The king of coins brandishing an axe recurs in several former French regional patterns and survives today in the king of hearts (‘suicide king’) in modern poker packs. In the example illustrated below, the ace of coins carries the coat of arms of the Catholic Monarchs, as well as the double-headed eagle of the Habsburgs topped by the crown of the empire of Charles V.
References
Lopez, Nacho: Descubierta la baraja más antigua del mundo, que fue fabricada en Castilla-La Mancha en 1540 in El Digital de Albacete 16 octubre, 2023►
Martín Carrillo, Alejandro: La baraja de cartas española más antigua del mundo se hizo en Toledo y data del 1540 in cadenaser.com 21/10/2023►
Denning, Trevor: The Playing-Cards of Spain, Cygnus Arts, London, 1996 - see p.46.
Anonymous uncut sheet dated 1587
On the three of clubs (first row second from the right) is the inscription F.T° that refers to Toledo. The same letters are repeated on the card with the 4 of chalices (second row fourth from the left) and on the next card at right the three of chalices is the year 1587. The profiles of the Catholic kings (Isabel and Ferdinand) on the three of coins and the coat of arms of Castilla and Leon and Aragon (partly trimmed from bottom) form the two of coins.
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.
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