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Anon Spanish Cards c.1875

Published February 22, 2016 Updated January 19, 2023

Spanish-suited playing cards made in Belgium by Mesmaekers Frères, c.1875.

1875 Belgium Mesmaekers Spanish Suited

Spanish-suited playing cards made in Belgium, c.1875

Cards from an anonymous Spanish-suited pack made in Belgium by Mesmaekers Frères c.1875 for export to Spanish-speaking markets (North Africa, Latin America, Spain). Stencil-coloured. The lion motif on the ace of coins is a common feature on Spanish packs from this era, and the wrapper also features a lion lying between two trees. The basket of flowers is often seen on Belgian-made Spanish-suited cards.

Anonymous Spanish-Suited Playing Cards, c.1875 Anonymous Spanish-Suited Playing Cards, c.1875 Anonymous Spanish-Suited Playing Cards, c.1875 Anonymous Spanish-Suited Playing Cards, c.1875

Above: image courtesy Stefan Lauwers.

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By Simon Wintle

Member since February 01, 1996

Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.

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