The archive looks beyond the basics such as who made a deck and when. It records how cards were designed, printed and traded, how they were regulated, and what their imagery was intended to convey. All content is edited with care and supported by sources, images and dates to support reliable research.
New Articles
Royal Mischief Transformation
Royal Mischief Transformation reworks Patrick Valenza’s Royal Mischief characters and imagery as a comp...
Paul Bostock • 3 days agoMamluk Cards and the Making of the European Deck
Mamluk “naib” cards — four suits with named courts — offer a persuasive clue to how playing cards reach...
Paul Bostock • 5 days agoDavid’s fortune-telling cards
Entertaining and easy-to-use fortune-telling cards published by David, Paris, c.1895.
Roddy Somerville • Dec 28, 2025X'Mas Elf Tarot
Deckstiny’s X’Mas Elf Tarot is a Christmas-themed Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck from Thailand, illustrated in a...
Adam Wintle • Dec 23, 2025Dielo playing cards
Heroic Socialist-style version of the Four Seasons pattern from Bratislava.
Roddy Somerville • Dec 22, 2025Ormavyl
Branded advertising playing cards with modern look made in France, 1970s.
Tamir Shpigelman • Dec 21, 2025Augustin Playing Cards
Augustin street newspaper playing cards illustrated by Thomas Kriebaum.
Konrad Hämmerle • Dec 19, 2025Gibert Jeune (Molière)
Pack offered by the Parisian bookshop Gibert Jeune on the tricentenary of Molière’s death.
Roddy Somerville • Dec 18, 2025The Sola-Busca Tarot
Humanist Iconography, Alchemical Metaphor, and the Origins of the Illustrated Minor Arcana.
Simon Wintle • Dec 17, 2025Current Trends
Playing cards appear in European records in the late 14th century, but their earlier history lies further east. The material record, surviving packs and documentary references show how cards moved int...
From a Renaissance Card Game to a Medium of Spiritual Meaning and Identity.
The 'Joker' is believed to have been invented by American Euchre players who, when modifying the rules sometime during the 1860s, decided that an extra trump card was required.
The King of Hearts, holding a sword behind his head, is sometimes nicknamed the “Suicide King”. He can be seen to derive from a late medieval design showing a King wielding a battle axe.
Out of an apparent void, a constellation of references in early literature emerge pointing to the sudden arrival of playing cards, principally in Belgium, Germany, Spain and Italy around 1370-1380. Di...
Nã'ib, the game of lieutenants... these cards are amongst the earliest Arabic playing cards extant.
The Chinese took their cards with them wherever they travelled and traded in the East, and we find Chinese cards in use not only in the mainland but also in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Sin...
Over the years the origin of Blackjack, like many other games, has eluded researchers for a long time and which continues to be hotly debated to this day.
The luxury playing card factory founded in Frankfurt am Main by Bernhard Dondorf in 1833 existed for 100 years.
Explore
4,743 articles featuring content from 120 countries and 388 themes; including 1,385 manufacturers, 1,158 designers, 266 brands, 77 suits, 58 games and 31 licenses.
Conrad Ludwig Wüst
The Modern Württemberg Pattern
Early 2000s modernization based on designs from 1865 and 1926.
By Konrad Hämmerle
Wüst “Encyclopedic Tarot”
“Encyclopedic Tarot” by C. L. Wüst with “bourgeois” views of life on the Trumps.
By Simon Wintle
Wüst Oval Patience
C. L. Wüst Oval Patience Karten No. 240, beautifully printed by chromolithography, c.1910.
By Barney Townshend
Shenzhen Wangjing Printing Company (WJPC)
Cyberpunk Playing Cards by Elephant
Cyberpunk playing cards, combining themes of lowlife and high tech. Created by Ben Jones, produced b...
By Adam Wintle
Bharata Playing Cards
Bharata Playing Cards - Series 2, based on Indian folk art, published by Sunish Chabba, 2018.
By Simon Wintle
On The Cards
A Motley Pack - transformation playing cards & ‘On The Cards’ book facsimile published by Sunish Cha...
By Simon Wintle
H.P. Gibson & Sons Ltd
Cartes Lenormand
“Cartes Lenormand” published by H. P. Gibson & Sons Ltd, London, printed in Germany by B. Dondorf, 1...
By Simon Wintle
Question and Answer Games
A card game called “Impertinent Questions and Pertinent Answers” was launched in the early 1920s by ...
By Tony Hall
Animal Grab
Animal Grab card game by Thomas De La Rue & Co., 110 Bunhill Row, London..
By Simon Wintle
Trades & Professions
Trades, crafts and professions are broad categories of occupations that require specialized knowledge, skills, and/or training.
In some decks of playing cards the standard court card hierarchy of Jack, Queen, King is replaced with different craft or trades people or professionals and also their equipment and tools. Similarly many card games are based around different families of trades people, as in ‘Happy Families’ who may be families of bakers, cobblers or doctors, and so on.
• See also Happy Families►
Highwayman
The game of “Highwayman” published by Chad Valley Company in c.1950 simulates travelling on old Coac...
By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)
Cyberpunk 2077 Tarot Cards
Polish cartoonist Jakub Rebelka created this set of tarot cards for the Cyberpunk 2077 video game.
By Adam Wintle
Tatra Mountains souvenir
Photographic views of the Tatra Mountains with added touches.
By Roddy Somerville
Notgeld - Emergen¢y Money
Notgeld - Emergency Money - was in rare cases issued on playing cards.
By Simon Wintle
Ferdinand Gumppenberg
Tarocco Neoclassico
Gumppenberg published several new decks by artists or engravers of the day. The designs are clear an...
By Rod Starling (1936-2023)
Gumppenberg of Milan
Fine playing cards made by Gumppenberg of Milan evoking the style of antiquity, c.1830
By Simon Wintle
Corona Ferrea
Trumps depict historical scenes primarily of the political period known as the Holy Roman Empire fro...
By Rod Starling (1936-2023)
Goyesca
Baraja ‘Goyesca’ facsimile of original deck published in Madrid by Clemente de Roxas, 1814.
By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)
The English Playing Card Society
Founded in 1984, the English Playing Card Society (EPCS) promotes research into the history and development of English playing cards and card games, and supports the exchange of information and ideas between collectors, researchers, archivists, designers, manufacturers and dealers.
The Society publishes the EPCS Newsletter three times a year and maintains an online archive of back issues.
Newsletter covers (select a cover to browse the archive)
The Big Picture
Playing cards have a universal appeal and are a reflection of human culture.
Above: Chinese money-suited cards. Some of the earliest cards have origins in the Far East.
Playing cards have a long history and cultural significance, forming a part of almost every society around the world. The origins of playing cards can be traced back centuries, and today they remain a universal symbol of creativity, entertainment, and human connection. These small, rectangular pieces of paper have been a source of fun for generations and are still enjoyed in countless ways—whether in a simple game of solitaire, a high-stakes poker match, or the tarot cards used for fortune-telling. There is something about the history and design of playing cards that captures the imagination and inspires creativity. As Delef Hoffmann once said, “whether we consider cards as mere merchandise or as the bond which unites people with one another, just think of what we would be if we had no cards! How boring and unsociable our lives would be without this invention!”
Above: Dasavatara Ganjifa from India. Playing cards from India are often circular.
The origin of cards can be traced back to China, where they were first used as early as the 9th century. From there, the cards travelled across Asia and the Middle East, and finally found their way to Europe in the 14th century.
Since then, playing cards have been used for a wide range of purposes, including fortune-telling and even propaganda. But the most significant impact they have had on humanity is through their use in games, which have brought people together for centuries.
Above left: a set of Spanish playing cards from 1638 was discovered inside a prison wall during demolition, likely used for gambling by prisoners. Above center: Trump Presidential playing cards, playing cards are often used for political messages. Above right: the Magician from the popualr Rider-Waite tarot, which has become the template for modern tarot decks.
While playing cards have brought people together for fun and play, they have also been a source of disruption in the form of gambling. For many, gambling has become an addiction, leading to financial ruin and even anti-social problems.
The artistic value of cards cannot be overlooked, with their intricate details and unique designs of each card reflecting the creativity and ingenuity of artists. Playing cards are a reflection of our society, with each country and region having its unique designs and styles. As Sylvia Mann put it "there are fashions in cards, and these fashions very often reflect the history of the times". From the bold and colourful designs of India to the intricate and detailed patterns of Russia, playing cards are a testament to the creativity and diversity of the human experience.
Above left: Kashmir Playing Cards, above center: Ethiopian Air Lines playing cards produced by Nintendo, above right: striking playing cards designed by Masuo Ikeda.
Playing cards have a wide embrace, spanning across cultures and countries, with a scope of diverse subjects that reflect the values and beliefs of their respective societies.
Playing cards are an enduring symbol of human connection and creativity, transcending language, borders and cultures. Through the power of games, they have brought people together for centuries, creating shared experiences that have fostered friendships, learning and social bonds. While their role in gambling has been disruptive, their stunning artistic designs elevate them to works of art, worthy of appreciation and admiration. Playing cards are a testament to the power of human creativity and a reflection of the rich cultural tapestry of our world.
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