Tarot Philatélique
Tarot game pack with French postage stamps on all the courts, aces and trumps.
The French Post Office (La Poste) has a long history of issuing stamps with either tourist sites and monuments or paintings and other works of art. In this pack, examples of the former appear on the trumps (two on each) and the aces (cathedrals), while examples of the latter adorn the court cards and l’excuse. The reproductions are faithful to the originals in terms of colour and very slightly larger in terms of size. The works of art represent the Middle Ages (D), and the 15th (S), 17th (H), 19th (C) and 20th (l’excuse) centuries. All the stamps are set against a cream-coloured background, while plain white is used on the numeral cards. The back pattern comprises various postmarks and cancellations • See the box
Above: Tarot Philatélique made and published by France Cartes, Saint-Max, France, 1990. 78 cards + 2 extra cards + rules in French in tuck box. Size: 60 x 112.5 mm. © S.P.A.D.E.M. et © A.D.A.G.P. 1990
The pack was conceived by Jacques Hiver, with authorisation from La Poste. French stamp dealers and catalogue publishers Yvert & Tellier also contributed to the publication of this pack.
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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