Borna Skat
Publicity pack for the Saxon town of Borna, with designs by Andreas Wachter.
Borna is situated 30 km southeast of Leipzig and 17 km north of Altenburg. Open-cast mining of brown coal used to shape the surrounding landscape, although efforts have been made to revegetate the landscape in recent years. Mines, mining equipment and miners’ uniforms are evident throughout this German-suited pack, together with prominent buildings and …….. onions! Yes, Borna is famous for the cultivation of onions and even had a special onion train. The manufacturer’s logo appears on the 8 of Bells. The double-ended back design features the town hall in the centre. The pack was issued in an edition of 3,600 packs.
Above: publicity pack for the Saxon town of Borna, with designs by Andreas Wachter, printed by Altenburger Spielkartenfabrik, Altenburg, DDR, 1990. 32 cards + 1 blank card in clear plastic box. Size: 57.5 x 87.5 mm. The double-ended back design features the town hall in the centre. The manufacturer’s logo appears on the 8 of Bells.
This was one of the last packs produced by Altenburger Spielkartenfabrik before German reunification. See a comic picture/postcard of the Borna onion train here►
More about the history of the onion in Borna►
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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