Tudor Rose No. 2137
A bizarrely misnamed deck.
Piatnik is known for delivering not just quality, but accuracy, which makes this a frustrating deck. It would’ve been fine if it was called something like “Glorious England” or “Rule Britannia!” Instead it’s named “Tudor Rose,” which makes one assume it’s devoted to the Tudor Dynasty.
But it’s not. The deck is a Who’s Who of British history stretching from King Richard the Lionheart – whose reign began almost 300 years before the Tudors – to Queen Victoria and Benjamin Disraeli, who came over 200 years after. Indeed, only four court members – a mere quarter of the deck – are from the time of the Tudors.
Tudor Rose No. 2137 historical playing cards published by Piatnik.
The mishmash continues on the backs of this double deck. One set contains the emblem of the Tudors, while the other bears the White Rose of York, the royal house the Tudors defeated in their rise to power.
Tudor Rose comes in a patience size deck as well.
Addendum - courtesy Roddy Somerville.
The face designs by Professor Kuno Hock (1884-1955) were first published in 1952 for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (1953). Tudor Rose refers to the back design on one of the packs - a design which also features prominently on the original double box where one can see the name of Piatnik's official agents in London at the time, Benno Products. The design of the box has changed several times over the years: some of these boxes can be viewed here . The same set of courts was used for Piatnik's Crown and Sceptre cards (backs: a) crown; b) sceptre) as well as for the 1981 Royal Wedding set (backs: a) Prince of Wales feathers; b) Welsh dragon).
By Lev Golinkin
United States • Member since May 26, 2026
I'm a US-based author and journalist. I've been collecting playing cards since I was about 8 years old, when I got mesmerized by the various decks that were used in Soviet Ukraine, where I'm from. I collect mainly European decks such as those by Dondorf, Grimaud, and Piatnik. I love courts above all else, and am drawn toward historical and artistic decks.
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