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This issue features articles on De La Rue Pack c.1835, Mistakes in Standard English Packs, and An Unusual Happy Families from Chad Valley, plus more on related playing-card topics.

Les Chevaliers de la Toison d’Or

Medieval manuscript art at its finest.

Michelin tires

Grimaud’s take on the classic tire brand.

Ethnological Tarot by Joseph Fetscher

Joseph Fetscher's inventive, ethnographic tarot from Munich c.1820.

Time Magazine

America’s classic periodical celebrates itself.

Latvian Mythological Cards ~ Latju Mītoloģiskās Kārtis

A loving and well-researched celebration of Latvian mythology and culture based around the four seasons.

Grateful Dead – Dead in a Deck

Art, music and advertising come together in this groovy promotional deck.

Odyssey Playing Cards

A Kings Wild Project celebrating Homer’s epic.

Les Amoureux de Peynet

An iconic cartoon veers from cute to sexual with no stops in between.

Les Quatre Saisons

A lyrical cycle of the seasons woven into the language of playing cards.

Troubadour

Charming deck evoking the art of the Middle Ages.

Le jeu de cartes des Croisades

Venture into the Crusades in the style of medieval manuscript art.

Modern F.X. Schmid Bavarian Cards

From Plastic to Premium: The legendary F.X. Schmid Tarock & Schafkopf deck, reboxed, refreshed and rebranded.

Mariáš - Black & Red Edition

A modern special edition of Prager pattern cards.

Birb playing cards

Birds are not merely illustrated on the cards but become the court cards themselves.

Jungle Playing Cards

Welcome to the jungle – a delightful deck from South Africa.

Ute Mountain Casino Hotel & Resort

Casino playing cards featuring Native American courts.

Sanders

A cheery deck in which playing card courts visit the countryside.

Arrowhead Playing Cards from San Felipe’s Casino Hollywood

A gorgeous and well-researched celebration of Native American culture.

Les Grands Navigateurs

Jean Delpech's modernist voyage through the history of Maritime Exploration.

Les Chevaliers de la Table Ronde

A pictorial study by Jean Bruneau inspired by an ancient work rooted in Celtic history.

Meskwaki Casino

A deck reflecting Native American culture where every hand could be a jackpot.

Robin Hood Playing Cards

A Kings Wild Project by Jackson Robinson exploring the legend of Robin Hood and inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry.

Pacific Northwest Native American Playing Cards

A bold presentation of animals in Native American artwork – with a political message.

AVES

A rich display of plumage by artist Karina Eibatova.

Rockwell International

Cards celebrating the Space Shuttle, astronauts, and Mission Control staff.

Authentic American Indian Playing Cards (Northern Plains Collection I)

Honouring the Great Plains: carefully chosen symbols on familiar playing cards.

Okinawa Playing Cards

Ryūkyū Kingdom culture meets the international pattern.

San Manuel Casino

Native American-themed playing cards used by tribal casinos.

Library Display

Three seconds to spark a love of playing cards: one collector's library display challenge.

My Neighbor Totoro Cards

My Neighbour Totoro, now in your hands: a cinematic story told card by card.

La baraja de Almagro

De la chimenea al monumento nacional: la baraja de Almagro y el renacer del corral de comedias.

Tarocco Gumppenberg

Neoclassical Empire-style Tarocchi cards by Ferdinando Gumppenberg, Milan, c.1810.

Tarocco dell’Astrologo

An occultist astrological Tarot designed by Giorgio Tavaglione with several incarnations.

Au Vieux Campeur

Advertising pack for a French company selling all kinds of gear for outdoor activities.

Mariano de los Reyes Maffei, 1878-1894

El naipero que desafió a los Olea con su baraja y su ingenio comercial.

Trampulínek

A children’s card game by Prague-based manufacturer Josef Chroust.

Society of Apothecaries (medicinal plants)

Medicinal plants in stained glass from Apothecaries’ Hall, London.

The Five of Hearts

A political hand badly played: Admiral Byng and the satire of failure, c.1756.

María del Patrocinio Maffei García, 1874-1878

María del Patrocinio Maffei: la verdadera dueña del león, naipera y pionera en la Cádiz del siglo XIX.

Le Tarot du Pays Cathare

Cathar monuments and English-style courts on a French Tarot game pack.

Air Mauritius

Nautical subjects aimed at a younger audience, promoting Air Mauritius.

José María Acuaviva

José María Acuaviva (1840-1859): el naipero que heredó la marca ‘El León’.

Carlos Somariva

Carlos Somariva: heredero, fabricante de naipes y empresario de ómnibus en el Cádiz del siglo XIX.

Two consecutive 7 No Trumps contracts!

What are the odds?

Rafael de los Reyes Peña, 1860-1874

Rafael de los Reyes: el naipero que usó la marca ‘El León’ gracias a su matrimonio con la hija de Maffei.

A Spanish Deck in Transition by Hermanos Bosio

A Spanish National pattern refracted through Mediterranean influence from early 19th-century Genoa.

Trappola Pack by Johann Nejedly

An example of Viennese innovation in card production from the mid-19th century.

Los Maffei y la marca “El León”

Mariano Maffei (Mafei) Cano, 1818-1840.

Naipes en Chile

Noticias y crónicas de la época del virreinato.

Pedro y los piratas

Un pequeño misterio para una gran baraja.