Das Tübinger Skatspiel
Pack devised by Volker Scheub depicting characters associated with the city of Tübingen.
In the playing-card world, Tübingen, south of Stuttgart, is most closely associated with the name of J.G. Cotta, the local bookseller who published what are thought to be the earliest complete printed transformation packs. In this pack, however, other local characters take the stage, each of them in caricature and each named. Some were living (at the time of the pack’s publication), while others are linked with Tubingen’s past, notably Ernst Bloch (1885-1977), the German Marxist philosopher (KS). Simple outlines of sights around the city decorate the Aces. The pips are arranged in non-standard ways – in a different fashion on each suit. The Club Voltaire mentioned on the backs of the cards is a social and cultural club for the performing arts in Tübingen. The accompanying leaflet has biographical details in German►
Above: Das Tübinger Skatspiel devised by Volker Scheub and published in Tübingen, Germany, 1987. Maker unknown. 32 cards + leaflet in German in clear plastic box. Size: 60 x 89.5 mm.
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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