Bonaparte Bridge
Colourful international designs produced by Bonaparte, Plzeň, Czech Republic, c.2000.
The Czech company Bonaparte has been in the market since 1993, producing custom-made playing cards and games. This is their modern and very colourful interpretation of a pack for international use. There are some traditional elements including an orb, swords, flowers, etc. The sword at the back of the King of Hearts’ head is barely visible since the corner index cuts into the design at that point. One can’t help thinking that a suit-sign could have been added to the design in the space immediately to the left of the head of each court card figure. The company name BONAPARTE appears on all the Aces. Marbled backgrounds. Indices: K, Q, J, A.
Above: 52 cards + 2 Jokers printed by Bonaparte, Plzeň, Czech Republic, c.2000. Size: 56 x 88 mm. Backs: detail from Renoir’s “La Première Sortie”.
By Roddy Somerville
Member since May 31, 2022
Roddy started collecting stamps on his 8th birthday. In 1977 he joined the newly formed playing-card department at Stanley Gibbons in London before setting up his own business in Edinburgh four years later. His collecting interests include playing cards, postcards, stamps (especially playing cards on stamps) and sugar wrappers. He is a Past President of the Scottish Philatelic Society, a former Chairman of the IPCS, a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards and Curator of the WCMPC’s collection of playing cards. He lives near Toulouse in France.
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