Medizin Skat
Promotional pack for a hospital group in the Saarland, with non-standard suits and courts designed by Detlef Krause.
They say that laughter is the best medicine. Clearly the medical team going about their daily tasks on this set of courts is a happy and contented one! A couple of the doctors and nurses wear medical face masks (echoed in 2020 on the Covid-19 pack). What makes this 32-card pack for skat all the more fun is that the suits are non-standard – syringes, plasters, ‘real’ hearts – and the two ends of each court card are different. In addition, Detlef Krause has used a range of pastel colours in his drawings which adds to the overall softness of the designs. Different back designs were issued: this one is for a hospital group in the Saarland.


Above: Medizin Skat made by A.S.S., Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany, c1994. 32 cards + 1 extra card in plastic box. Size: 59 x 91 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.
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