ICI Sopra
Promotional pack for ICI Sopra, advertising herbicides and fungicides, with designs by Henri Simoni.
A Joker holding a cornucopia from which tumble succulent-looking vegetables, grapes and other fruit seems innocent enough, as do the courts whose costumes are made up of agricultural produce of various kinds. These are Henri Simoni’s charming and colourful designs. His name appears on the Jokers. Only when one turns the cards over does one discover that these cards do in fact promote four different herbicides and fungicides which are all now either banned or severely restricted in their use in most European countries. One of them, Milstem, was first introduced in 1972, so it is safe to assume that these cards were produced not long after that date. See the box
Promotional pack for ICI Sopra published by Editions J.-C. Dusserre, Paris, France, c.1973. Printed by Boéchat Frères (“Héron”), Bordeaux, France. 52 cards + 2 Jokers + 1 bridge score card in tuck box. Size: 57 x 87 mm. The box looks the same front and back.
ICI Sopra was the French subsidiary of the British chemical giant Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI).
By Roddy Somerville
France • 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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