Monarch Bicycle
The company advertised themselves as “The Monarch King of all Cycles” with the lion's head motif inside a bicycle wheel.
Monarch Bicycle playing cards are an early example of non-standard designs used for advertising. The company advertised itself as “The Monarch King of all Cycles” with a lion's head motif inside a bicycle wheel. The four Kings depict Tom Cooper (1874–1906), an 1890s champion bicycle racer and early auto racing ‘speed king’ who unfortunately died in an auto accident. The four Aces, and also the box, contain bicycle wheels.
Interestingly, the format of the court card designs in this deck appears to have been used in other advertising decks. They may have triggered the idea for the Stage No.65 theatre stars deck published in the following year.
By Rod Starling
Member since January 09, 2013
Rod Starling was one of the founding members of the 52 Plus Joker card collectors club. He authored many articles for the club's quarterly newsletter, Clear the Decks. His collection encompasses both foreign and American decks. Rod also authored a book titled The Art and Pleasures of Playing Cards.
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