Several styles of court cards and aces of spades are known to have been issued over time. Some are shown here.
1st Type
Above: plain ace or with brand name in scroll, copies of NYCCC’s wide courts, can be tiny or standard pip/indices size, two or four colours, c.1898-1910. Ace of spades courtesy Ray Nilsson.
2nd Type
Ace of spades with the coats of arms of Australian states around, c.1900 onwards. Redrawn court cards with more idiosyncratic designs.
Above & Right: two colour and four colour courts, c.1910-1930.
3rd Type
Above: new designs of four colour and two colour courts with Invicta ace & joker, 1930s-40s. These courts are similar to those of the National Card Co courts used until the 1940s by the Canadian PCCo. Images courtesy Ken Lodge.
CREDITS: Unless otherwise stated, images courtesy John Daniels.
By Jan Walls
Member since March 02, 2019
View ArticlesI collected playing cards since I was in primary school.
Leave a Reply
Recommended
Transformation Cards for Christmas
Hand-drawn Transformation cards, c.1870.
Bosch Puzzle Playing Cards
Bosch Puzzle Playing Cards by Sunish Chabba, 2020.
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia and is the world's third-oldest airline still in operation, having been founded in November 1920.
Collecting Playing Cards with Jan Walls
I collected playing cards when I was in primary school, by Jan Walls.
71: Woodblock and stencil: the hearts
A presentation of the main characteristics of the wood-block courts of the heart suit.
On The Cards
A Motley Pack - transformation playing cards & ‘On The Cards’ book facsimile published by Sunish Chabba, 2019.
68: Playing cards in glass
My wife and I have recently commissioned a unique pair of stained glass windows for our home.
Billabong playing cards
Billabong Dual Deck by Hudson Industries, 1950s.
63: The descendants of the French regional patterns: 1
A great many regional patterns were exported from France and subsequently copied elsewhere. Some of them became local standards in their own right.
62: French regional patterns: the queens and jacks
Continuing our look at the figures from the regional patterns of France.
Kalevala
Kalevala playing cards by Sunish Chabba and Ishan Trivedi inspired by ancient Finnish mythology.
Modern English Court
Modern English court style by Games & Print Services Limited, c.1997.
Adelaide Casino
Adelaide Casino by Spicers Paper Ltd, 1987.
Erlenmeyer City Sights
Erlenmeyer City Sights hand-illustrated playing cards by Stephanie Gray, 2015.
Estate Playing Cards
Estate Playing Cards with five suits designed by Keith Wilson
Vizaĝo playing cards
Vizaĝo playing cards created by Annette Abolins, 2017.
Detmold Advertising Backs
Advertising backs by William Detmold Ltd (Australia) c.1910-1920s.
Nine Lives Playing Cards
Nine Lives Playing Cards designed by Annette Abolins, 2016
Nine Lives Tarot
Nine Lives Tarot by Annette Abolins, 2013.
Australia by Steve Parish
Australia souvenir deck with photography by Steve Parish
51: Some modern variation
A brief survey of some of the current variation in the standard English pattern.
49: De La Rue in detail
A detailed presentation of the variants of De La Rue's standard cards.
A Motley Pack
A book titled “On The Cards” or “A Motley Pack” by Garnet Walch (1843-1913) was published in Melbourne (Australia) and illustrated by George Gordon McCrae in 1875.
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet Playing Cards feature amazing images from all over the globe
Flinders playing cards
Flinders playing cards manufactured by Hudson Industries Pty Ltd (Australia).
44: Australia
Two early makers, Thomas and Sands & McDougall, used courts copied from those of the New York Consolidated Card Co.
Hudson Industries
Hudson Industries Pty Ltd of Carlton in Victoria was first registered as a printing company in 1920. In the 1940s they registered their own distinctive ace of spades and joker.
SNP Ausprint Pty Ltd
Formerly part of Singapore National Printers (SNP), the company went into receivership in April 2008.
Spicer & Detmold
Spicer & Detmold (1922-48) produced a lot of pictorial back designs. Most decks with picture backs were printed in 4 colours.
Sands & McDougall Aces & Jokers
Sands & McDougall produced many beautiful Spade Aces and Jokers.
Sands & McDougall
Sands & McDougall, playing card manufacturers, Melbourne, late 1890s-c.1970.
Brewery Advertising
Australian Brewery Advertising
Sands & McDougall Court Cards
Sands & McDougall Court Cards
Pelaco
‘Pelaco’ playing cards with Aboriginal characters by Sands & McDougall, Australia, c.1930.
William Detmold Limited
William Detmold Limited, manufacturers of playing cards.
Ausgold by SNP
“Ausgold” by SNP Ausprint Pty Ltd
SNP Ausprint Jokers
A series of SNP Ausprint jokers with the various wording and name changes
Australia
Playing cards from Australia.
John Sands
John Sands had incorporated the earlier playing card manufacturing businesses of Hudson Industries Pty Ltd and Valentine Publishing Co.
Comic Families
“Comic Families” card game from Australia, c.1940s