Mercante in Fiera di Jacovitti
Traditional Italian card game with comic designs by Benito Jacovitti.
The traditional Italian card game Mercante in Fiera (in English, Merchant at the Fair) uses two packs of 40 cards, each with a different back colour or design. In this set, the famous Italian comic artist Benito Jacovitti (1923-1997) has created humorous, sometimes crazy designs, often playing on or distorting Italian words for comic effect. Each image is set against a strong background colour. The cards are numbered 1 to 40, each with a title in Italian. The accompanying rules are in Italian only. See the rules leaflet►
Above: ‘Mercante in Fiera di Jacovitti’ card game printed and published by Modiano, Trieste, Italy, c1975. 2 x 40 cards + leaflet with rules in Italian in tuck box. Size: 63.5 x 88 mm.
• See the box►
By Roddy Somerville
France • Member since May 31, 2022 • Contact
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.
Related Articles
Le carte da gioco Arcimboldo
Courts and suit-signs inspired by the works of the Italian Renaissance painter, Giuseppe Arcimboldo....
Alan Tarot Deck
Reprint of a Tarock pack originally designed by Argio Orell for the Austrian Lloyd shipping company....
I Tarocchi del Buongustaio
A less-than-serious set of major arcana on a gourmet theme, with designs by Cosimo Musio.
Pinocchio playing cards
Comic book drawings inspired by Carlo Collodi’s children’s classic, Pinocchio.
Bolognese pattern
Standard Bolognese pattern pack by Murari of Bari.
Il Mercante in Fiera del Solleone
Traditional Italian card game with bold designs by Costante Costantini.
Italia playing cards
Small, narrow cards designed by Osvaldo Menegazzi, bearing a strong resemblance to a Swedish pattern...
Le carte di Tex
Characters from the famous Italian comic book series, Tex, created by Gian Luigi Bonelli and Aurelio...
Florentine pattern variant
Non-standard designs by Chiari of Florence with some of the features of a traditional Florentine pat...
Carte da gioco anticomuniste del Comitato civico
Anti-Communist propaganda pack with satirical designs by Benito Jacovitti.
The Cartoonists' Pack
Semi-transformation pack created by four famous British cartoonists.
Guinness World Records Cards
52 Guinness World Records Cards published by if, Pickering, UK, 2011.
Venetian Tarot
Scenes from the history of Venice on a set of the major arcana.
Il Quinto Seme
An Italian pack with a fifth suit of “amici” (“friends”).
Le Golf de Mose
Humorous cartoons of golfers in action on playing cards by the artist Mose.
Le Jeu des Chats (Dubout)
Cartoon-style illustrations of cats on playing cards created by the French artist Albert Dubout.
Scouting playing cards
Cartoon-style illustrations promoting a Belgian organisation for scouts and guides.
Topolino Fiat Cinquecento
Fully illustrated Italian Disney pack advertising the Fiat Cinquecento, made by Modiano, Trieste, It...
Bolzani e Spagnolo
Stylish monochrome designs by the Archinstudio of Guido Bolzani and Gian-Piero Spagnolo, printed by ...
Gó Succo
Gó Succo fruit juice promotion deck featuring Walt Disney cartoons.
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 60 days
