Postillion Schafkopf
Postillion Schafkopf dedicated to the history of the German postal service.
While on vacation in Bavaria I visited Schloss Thurn und Taxis in Regensburg, the home since 1748 of the Princely House of Thurn and Taxis, a family of German nobility, which was a key player in the postal services in Europe during the 16th century through to the end of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806. It was here that I came across this pack of Schafkopf playing cards, dedicated to the history of the German postal service. It was published by A.S.S. (Altenburger und Stralsunder Spielkartenfabriken), Leinfelden, c. 1994, and the court cards feature the original designs of Monika Dostler (Artwork Marketing), depicting 19th century Postillions from various towns and cities of Germany. The aces show different post horns used by Postillions of the 18th and 19th centuries to signal the arrival or departure of a post rider or mail coach.
The 36 cards have standard German suits of acorns, hearts, bells and leaves. Schafkopf (also called Bavarian Schafkopf), is a popular German trick-taking card game for four players that evolved, towards the end of the 19th century.
Note: Dostler has also produced a pack celebrating Mercedes-Benz►
In addition, a “Postillion Skat” pack of 32 cards was produced with the same illustrations on the courts (but not the aces), and with standard international suits of hearts, clubs, diamonds and spades. The card reverse is also different.
By Peter Burnett
Member since July 27, 2022
I graduated in Russian and East European Studies from Birmingham University in 1969. It was as an undergraduate in Moscow in 1968 that I stumbled upon my first 3 packs of “unusual” playing cards which fired my curiosity and thence my life-long interest. I began researching and collecting cards in the early 1970s, since when I’ve acquired over 3,330 packs of non-standard cards, mainly from North America, UK and Western Europe, and of course from Russia and the former communist countries.
Following my retirement from the Bodleian Library in Dec. 2007 I took up a new role as Head of Library Development at the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) to support library development in low-income countries. This work necessitated regular training visits to many sub-Saharan African countries and also further afield, to Vietnam, Nepal and Bangladesh – all of which provided rich opportunities to further expand my playing card collection.
Since 2019 I’ve been working part-time in the Bodleian Library where I’ve been cataloguing the bequest of the late Donald Welsh, founder of the English Playing Card Society.
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Postillion Schafkopf
Postillion Schafkopf dedicated to the history of the German postal service.