Dondorf Tarot Aces
The four suits are associated with four countries: Clubs = Germany, Diamonds = UK, Spades = Russia and Hearts = France.

Dondorf Tarot Microscopique ~ 4 Aces 1 • 2 • 3
B. Dondorf (1833-1933), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Dondorf's “Microscopique Tarock“ was first published in c.1870, but the example shown here was produced sometime between 1923 to 1929. The four suits are associated with four countries: Clubs = Germany, Diamonds = UK, Spades = Russia and Hearts = France. Each pictorial Ace shows two nationally symbolic buildings from each country. The court cards (shown on next page) follow the same format.

Above: the “Deutsches Reich” tax stamp on the Ace of Hearts was used during the period 1923 to 1929. The Nr.2 refers to the regional tax office in Frankfurt/Main.


Above: the back design and the unnumbered trump card 'Excuse' as a harlequin. Images courtesy Barney Townshend.

By Barney Townshend
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.
Related Articles

Alan Tarot Deck
Reprint of a Tarock pack originally designed by Argio Orell for the Austrian Lloyd shipping company....

Engel-Tarot
Set of major arcana designed by Alois Hanslian depicting angels throughout.

Virgil Solis
Remarkable pack of 52 animal-suited playing-cards designed and etched by Virgil Solis.

Politiker-Skat by Bubec
Caricatures of world leaders, including many German politicians, by the artist Bubec.

Le Poker Politique
French politicians and various world leaders caricatured by the German artist Bubec.

Jeu de Tarot (Catel & Farcy)
Colourful version of a standard French (‘Bourgeois’) Tarot.

Johann Nejedly Tarok Cards
Johann Nejedly, a 19th-century Viennese card maker, produced Tarock cards featuring modern scenes th...

Unimog UX 100
Cartoons promoting the Unimog UX 100, a small truck produced by Mercedes-Benz.

Juristenskat
Caricatures of lawyers and judges by Philipp Heinisch for HEEL Verlag.

Battles in Mexico, 1847
Uncut proof sheet with Mexican Battle scenes on the aces and portraits of American generals on the c...

Paris 2024 Olympics 2
A standard French Tarot game pack with passing references to the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

Joseph Sürch, Engraver
Joseph Sürch, a prominent Viennese engraver, made significant contributions to card sheet engraving ...

Double-ended German-suited pack by Josef Glanz, Vienna.
From the British Museum collection.

Tarot – Images du Pays Basque
Seventy-eight photographic images of the French Basque Country on a pack for playing the game of Tar...

Medizin Skat
Promotional pack for a hospital group in the Saarland, with non-standard suits and courts designed b...

Opernkarte I
Humorous designs by Peter Becker on the theme of the Opera.
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 28 days