Snap

Published July 06, 2016 Updated March 12, 2022

Spear’s “Snap” card game from the 1920s.

United Kingdom Spears Games Card Games Snap

Spear’s “Snap” card game from the 1920s was produced for many years. The deck consists of ten designs repeated 4 times each (40 in all), plus a Rules leaflet. The game involves crying “Snap” whenever two matching cards are turned over and seeking to win all the cards. The pack is reproduced now by Cheatwell Games under their Bygone Games series. The grotesque characters were inspired by the satirical illustrations by John Tenniel which became the basis for the “Old Original Game of Snap”, first published by John Jaques & Son Ltd in 1866 see more

Spear's “Snap” card game from the 1920s

Above: Spear's “Snap” card game from the 1920s. Courtesy Matt Probert.

Spear's “Snap” card game from the 1920s

Later Edition

The year of this edition is around 1970, it is contemporary with the Flintstones pack

See the Rules

Spear's “Snap” card game c.1970 Spear's “Snap” card game c.1970

Above: Spear's “Snap” card game from the 1970s. Courtesy Rex Pitts.

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By Matt Probert

Member since March 02, 2012

I have adored playing cards since before I was seven years old, and was brought up on packs of Waddington's No 1. As a child I was fascinated by the pictures of the court cards.

Over the next fifty years I was seduced by the artwork in Piatnik's packs and became a collector of playing cards.

Seeking more information about various unidentified packs I discovered the World of Playing Cards website and became an enthusiastic contributor researching and documenting different packs of cards.

I describe my self as a playing card archaeologist, using detective work to identify and date obscure packs of cards discovered in old houses, flea markets and car boot sales.

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