Charta Bellica
“Charta Bellica” playing cards produced by Piatnik, Budapest in 2009.
This pack entitled Charta Bellica (from the Latin meaning “War Playing Cards”) was produced by Piatnik, Budapest in 2009. It consists of 52 cards, 2 jokers and an information card. The four suits represent the four nations of Hungary (hearts), Poland (spades), Turkey (diamonds) and Austria (clubs), with each card of the suit incorporating the appropriate coat-of-arms. The aces depict the four capitals: Pozsony (former capital of Hungary, now Bratislava), Krakow, Istanbul and Wien. The remaining cards portray late 16th century court officials, soldiers or citizens based on contemporary prints, cuts and paintings. The cards were painted by Márton Somogyi (1979- ). See the box►
Above: “Charta Bellica” playing cards produced by Piatnik, Budapest in 2009.
Note: the archetypes of Charta Bellica are the 15th century court playing cards called Hofamterspiel►
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.
Trending Articles
Popular articles from the past 28 days
Related Articles
Woodblock and Stencil King of Diamonds
A limited edition art print of the King of Diamonds 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Queen of Clubs
A limited edition art print of the Queen of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Hearts
A limited edition art print of the Jack of Hearts 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Clubs
A limited edition art print of the Jack of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.
Le Roi bridge
Reprint of a Piatnik (Budapest) pack of 1927 with Hungarian historical figures and scenic aces.
Marmite
Fifty-Four images celebrating a UK savoury spread, that has been around one hundred and twenty two y...
Postabank 3
Caricatures of German personalities on a promotional pack for a Hungarian commercial bank.
Postabank 1
Caricatures of Hungarian politicians on a promotional pack for a commercial bank.
Film Noir
A deck of 55 cards, celebrating hard boiled heroes, wise-cracking women, mean streets, guns and gums...
Science Fiction
A deck of 55 cards, celebrating a time when Science Fiction truly was, Science Fiction.
Feh Schnapskarten
Colourful promotional pack for Feh household and toilet papers.
Pin-Ups
A deck of 55 cards celebrating a golden age of cheeky, naughty, bold and curvy ladies in film.
Classic Movie Posters
A deck of 55 cards presenting vintage classic movies and their stars.
That’s Entertainment
A deck of 55 cards celebrating 20th Century vaudeville, musicals and cabaret.
Sweden playing cards
Named characters from Swedish history.
Romania playing cards
Romanian voivodes and their wives from the 15th and 16th centuries.
Hitchcock
A deck of 55 cards celebrating the master of mystery, murder and mayhem, Alfred Hitchcock.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Pack featuring six images from the Disney film of the same name, on cards made for Eastern Europe.
Winnie the Pooh Rummy
Disney’s Winnie the Pooh and friends on a pack made for Eastern Europe.
The Pack of Positivity
Katie Abey’s rainbow-coloured designs using crazy animals to convey motivating phrases.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Characters and scenes from the Disney film of the same name, on a pack made for Eastern Europe.
Disney Princess
Featuring Disney Princesses and Enchanting Tales in two sizes of pack made for Eastern Europe.
Mickey Mouse Rummy
Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and other Disney characters on a pack made for Eastern Europe.
Royal Hawaiian playing cards
Royal Hawaiian playing cards published by the Royal Hawaiian Playing Card Company, Honolulu.
Shamrock Irish Heritage playing cards
A celebration of some of Ireland’s most famous patriots, politicians and poets.
Lenormand Wahrsage-Karten No. 55
Conventional Lenormand designs on a pack from Piatnik but with unconventional numbering.
Krónikás kártya
A German-suited pack from Hungary in honour of the millennium.
Budapest souvenir
Colour views of the Hungarian capital, Budapest, on all the courts and Aces.
Salmon Flies
Icelandic pack featuring a different salmon fly on every card.
Neiman Marcus playing cards
Cowboys and American Indians on a pack for Neiman Marcus, the Dallas department store.
Museo del Prado
Museo del Prado: Pintores y familias reales / Painters and royal families playing cards.
The Teddy deck
The Teddy deck designed by UK artist Peter Wood, 2004.
CCCP playing cards
Soviet and other Communist celebrities depicted on every card, designed by Vladislav Pankevitch.
1906 Earthquake
Facts, figures, stories and scandals about the 1906 Earthquake published by the Golden Gate National...
Bohemia Moravia
Historical figures from Bohemia and Moravia in Piatnik’s traditional style.
Joshi Bharát Tarot
A set of the major arcana created by an Indian fortune-teller living in Hungary.
Golden Boys
Players from the 1998 Czech Olympic ice hockey team with photography by Jiří Koliš.
Rika playing cards
Playing cards depicting famous Austrian skiers of the 1970s.
Charta Bellica
“Charta Bellica” playing cards produced by Piatnik, Budapest in 2009.
IBUSZ folklore playing cards
Hungarian folklore pack produced by IBUSZ travel agency, c. 1965.
55 Mucha Paintings on Playing Cards
Fully illustrated pack featuring a large selection of Mucha’s works.
Alcatraz: Rules and Regulations Playing Cards
Rules and regulations that guided prison life in America’s most notorious prison.
El Al Airlines
Pack designed by Jean David (1908-93) for El Al Airlines. The courts are named after Biblical charac...