Four Continents Patience
Dondorf's 'Four Continents' Patience, c.1910.
Dondorf: “Four Continents Patience”
Dondorf's “Patience-Karte Vier-Erdteile” (“Four Continents Patience”) was first published in c.1870 with square-cut corners, no borders and no indices. This edition has rounded corners, border lines and small indices, and was published in c.1910. As in the full-sized pack of the same name, each suit sign is assigned to a continent: Clubs represent Africa, Hearts Europe, Spades Asia and Diamonds represent America. The four Aces each have two landscape scenes from their corresponding part of the world. The Ace of Clubs shows coconut palms and Lake Moeris (Egypt); on Hearts we see an Italian forest and a German medieval castle; Spades the Great Wall of China and Indian palms; on Diamonds the Niagara Falls and South American Pampas. See also: Four Continents • Kinder-Karte Patience No.25.
Above: Aces and court cards from Dondorf's 'Four Continents' Patience, chromolithography, with rounded corners and borders, after 1906. The court cards depict stereotyped persons from each of the Four Continents. In this edition the captions on the four Aces are in French but versions with German captions were also produced. 52 cards; 64mm x 43mm. Images courtesy Barney Townshend.
German Inscriptions
Italian tax stamp dated 1923.
Above: courtesy Rex Pitts.
By Barney Townshend
United Kingdom • Member since October 06, 2015
Retired Airline Pilot, interested in: Transformation Playing Cards, Karl Gerich and Elaine Lewis. Secretary of the EPCS. Treasurer of the IPCS.
Activity for Four Continents Patience
Sign in to comment or save this article.
Related Articles
Miniature playing cards by Joseph Fetscher
Uncut sheet of miniature Bavarian playing cards by Joseph Fetscher.
Englische Karten nr.190
Dondorf Nr.190“Englische Karten”, 1867-1895.
Vues et Caractères Suisses No.228
A Swiss souvenir pack by Dondorf
Dondorf Patience playing cards No.26
Patience playing cards with children in historical costumes
F. X. Schmid Mini-Patience
Miniature Patience playing cards in Rococo style published by F. X. Schmid, c.1960
Figures Amusantes
French language edition of a children's quartet game published by B. Dondorf, c.1900, consisting of ...
Pierre l’Ebouriffé
Heinrich Hoffmann (1809-1894) wrote the Struwwelpeter stories in 1847 for his son Carl. The stories ...
Birma Karte or Englische Karten
Based upon older ‘standard’ patterns, the Kings and Queens are three-quarter length figures whilst t...
Hauptstadte Spiel
Each Ace shows views of two European capital cities.
Hundertjahrkarte
A new ‘medieval look’ is intended to suggest the power and virtue of the German character.
Whist No.178 ‘Stuart Zeit’
Although not historically accurate this example is subtitled “Stuart period”, with rich costumes cre...
Einköpfige Deutsche Spielkarte No.303
Dondorf's ‘Einköpfige Deutsche Spielkarte No.303’ (‘Single-ended German Playing Cards’) were produce...
Club Karte
There have been many variations in the design of “Club Karte” including the introduction of borders,...
10: Playing Cards in Germany
The playing card manufacturers of Germany from 1900 until 1939 provide a complicated set of relation...
Kinder-Karte
First published in c.1870, children are presented in these miniature Patience cards disguised as Kin...
Vier-Erdteile c.1870
Dondorf's Luxus-Spielkarte “Vier-Erdteile” (“Four Continents”) was first published in c.1870 and has...
Poker No. 140
Dondorf Poker-Karte No. 195, re-issued as Poker No. 140 for the "Argentina Compañia General de Naveg...
Dondorf
The luxury playing card factory founded in Frankfurt am Main by Bernhard Dondorf in 1833 existed for...
Swiss Album patience
Swiss Album patience cards by C. L. Wüst (Frankfurt), c.1900, with a different landscape on the reve...
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 60 days
Glo Lexa
28 April 2026, 00:15SavedSaved this article to Glo Lexa's Collection