Universe No.100 playing cards

Published January 12, 1999 • Updated July 09, 2022

Universe No.100 playing cards made by The Universal Playing Card Co. Ltd, Leeds, for Scandinavian countries.

During the 1930s an attractive range of cards was produced for Scandinavian countries. The designs reflected local patterns and were printed with Scandinavian indices: K, D, Kn for the court cards and Es or A for the Aces. The packs were commissioned by local chain stores, stationers, or as advertising products.

Universe No.100 playing cards manufactured by Universal Playing Card Co. Ltd, c.1933

Above: eight cards from Universe No.100 playing cards manufactured by The Universal Playing Card Co. Ltd, Leeds, c.1933. This particular pack was used as advertising for Danish photographic company Ilford Selo S/A in 1933.

Above: Universe No.100 playing cards manufactured by The Universal Playing Card Co. Ltd, Leeds, c.1933, for Norway. The designs are similar to those of the 'Romanian' pack by the same manufacturer, possibly by the same designer. Images courtesy Rex Pitts.

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By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)

United Kingdom • Member since January 30, 2009

Rex's main interest was in card games, because, he said, they were cheap and easy to get hold of in his early days of collecting. He is well known for his extensive knowledge of Pepys games and his book is on the bookshelves of many. His other interest was non-standard playing cards. He also had collections of sheet music, music CDs, models of London buses, London Transport timetables and maps and other objects that intrigued him.

Rex had a chequered career at school. He was expelled twice, on one occasion for smoking! Despite this he trained as a radio engineer and worked for the BBC in the World Service. Later he moved into sales and worked for a firm that made all kinds of packaging, a job he enjoyed until his retirement. He became an expert on boxes and would always investigate those that held his cards. He could always recognize a box made for Pepys, which were the same as those of Alf Cooke’s Universal Playing Card Company, who printed the card games. This interest changed into an ability to make and mend boxes, which he did with great dexterity. He loved this kind of handicraft work.

His dexterity of hand and eye soon led to his making card games of his own design. He spent hours and hours carefully cutting them out and colouring them by hand.