Unisex playing cards
Unisex playing cards produced by the Unisex Playing Card Company, Ontario, c.1982.
Produced by the Unisex Playing Card Company, Scarborough, Ontario, this pack eliminates the traditional King, Queen and Jack and replaces them with gender-neutral equivalents: a Royalty card (for the Kings), a Nobility card (for the Queens), and a Gentry card (for the Jacks). However, these court cards (and jokers) are all double-headed with one end a male figure, the other end a female figure, thereby representing both male and female simultaneously. The ace of spades, face cards and card back were designed by Benincasa Designs Inc. The pack includes 2 extra cards with a brief history of playing cards.
Above: Unisex playing cards produced by the Unisex Playing Card Company, Scarborough, Ontario, c.1982.
By Peter Burnett
United Kingdom • Member since July 27, 2022
I graduated in Russian and East European Studies from Birmingham University in 1969. It was as an undergraduate in Moscow in 1968 that I stumbled upon my first 3 packs of “unusual” playing cards which fired my curiosity and thence my life-long interest. I began researching and collecting cards in the early 1970s, since when I’ve acquired over 3,330 packs of non-standard cards, mainly from North America, UK and Western Europe, and of course from Russia and the former communist countries.
Following my retirement from the Bodleian Library in Dec. 2007 I took up a new role as Head of Library Development at the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) to support library development in low-income countries. This work necessitated regular training visits to many sub-Saharan African countries and also further afield, to Vietnam, Nepal and Bangladesh – all of which provided rich opportunities to further expand my playing card collection.
Since 2019 I’ve been working part-time in the Bodleian Library where I’ve been cataloguing the bequest of the late Donald Welsh, founder of the English Playing Card Society.
Activity for Unisex playing cards
Sign in to comment or save this article.
Related Articles
Zewd Historical Deck
Ethiopian imperial history, from Tewodros II to Haile Selassie.
78: The Standard English pattern - Part 2, the tricky bits
There are many less straightforward aspects to the designs of the English pattern, which need carefu...
Pride playing cards
Pride playing cards designed by Phil Constantinesco
Dutch Court playing cards
Games & Print Services’ version of the Dutch pattern.
MISSCŒUR
Elongated cards from France with a fourth court card, a Miss.
Card Tricks
Stereotypical representations of gay men and men they most admire, in a 1981 pack from San Francisco...
Ms. playing cards
‘Ms. playing cards’ promoting votes for women, USA, 1975.
And Marriage For All
“And Marriage For All” playing cards promoting equal marriage rights for same-sex couples.
Les Cartes pour l'Égalité
Playing cards for gender equality, created on the 500th anniversary of classic French cards
71: Woodblock and stencil: the hearts
A presentation of the main characteristics of the wood-block courts of the heart suit.
63: The descendants of the French regional patterns: 1
A great many regional patterns were exported from France and subsequently copied elsewhere. Some of ...
Modern English Court
Modern English court style by Games & Print Services Limited, c.1997.
51: Some modern variations
A brief survey of some current variations in the standard English pattern.
49: De La Rue in detail
A detailed presentation of the variants of De La Rue's standard cards.
Sands & McDougall Court Cards
Sands & McDougall Court Cards
Suicide King
The King of Hearts, holding a sword behind his head, is sometimes nicknamed the “Suicide King”. He c...
Dondorf Tarot Court Cards
Dondorf Tarot Court Cards.
6: Some Non-Standard Cards
I only collect the English standard, but I thought it would be a good idea to add some different typ...
Traditional English Court
Games & Print Services Ltd traditional English courts.
History of Court Cards
The court cards in English packs of playing cards derive from models produced by Pierre Marechal in ...
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 60 days
Courtney Rider
18 February 2026, 20:57SavedSaved this article to Court Cards