Smith-Corona Marchant
Simplified yet colourful court card designs by Avoine for Smith-Corona Marchant.
At first glance, all four kings look almost identical – ditto for the queens and the jacks. On closer inspection, there are differences in the crowns, the clothing, and so on. The artist Avoine (Paul Audin, 1939-2017) has used bright primary colours for the kings, pale pastel colours for the queens and stronger pastel colours for the jacks. The pips on the numeral cards are all ‘one-way’, with no miniature suit-signs in the corners. On the reverse one finds the name of the advertiser, Smith-Corona Marchant, makers of office equipment including typewriters and calculators, and their tri-bar logo.
Above: promotional playing cards made by B.P. Grimaud, France, for Smith-Corona Marchant, 1972. 52 cards + 2 Jokers + 2 extra cards. Size: 58 x 89 mm.
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.
Related Articles
Caisse Mutuelle d'Assurance et de Prevoyance
Insurance propaganda pack for Caisse Mutuelle d'Assurance et de Prevoyance with humorous artwork by ...
Copechat Paramount Sorting System
Preserving the past: a specimen deck showcasing edge-notched cards and their ingenious sorting syste...
Heartsette by Herbert Fitch & Co, 1893
A glimpse into a busy print and design office in late Victorian London.
Intersigma
A Czech advertising deck for a company dealing with pump technology.
Jeu Révolutionnaire
Court cards and aces from a French Revolutionary pack by Pinaut, Paris, c.1794.
French Revolutionary cards by Pinaut
Seven cards from a French Revolutionary pack by Pinaut featuring characters from classical antiquity...
Never Mind the Belote
Limited edition Belote pack with designs by a collective of 24 street artists.
Sannois dans les étoiles
Celebrities and buildings associated with Sannois, a commune in the suburbs of Paris.
Le Globe Céleste
Views and plans of five international exhibitions held in Paris between 1855 and 1900.
IG Chemie Papier Keramik
Promotional pack designed by Karl-Heinz Schroers for a German trade union with comical bears on the ...
Le Journal de Mickey
Perforated sheet of cards with Disney characters issued with the magazine Le Journal de Mickey.
Tarot hiéroglyphique égyptien
The design of the cards draws inspiration from various religious and philosophical traditions merged...
La Réussite (Sébastien Féraut)
Sébastien Féraut’s designs inspired by the animal kingdom for a set promoting patience games.
More Menthol Filter Cigarettes
Elongated cards with designs by Wong Yui Man advertising More cigarettes.
Le Tarot de Sète
Reinterpretation of the Tarot de Marseille by Julien Labat, an artist from Sète.
Oracle Rock
Cartomantic set depicting rock and pop stars, designed by La Rata, with a book by Virginie Despentes...
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 28 days
