Schwarze Katze (or Gioco del Gatto Nero)
Reproduction of a 40-card transformation pack with designs by “WS”, adapted for the game of Black Cat.
When Vito Arienti reproduced this transformation pack in 1984, he made a few changes from the original. He removed the old German tax stamp from the Ace of Hearts, changed the image on the 10 of Spades, he added the word “Joker” to the extra card and reduced the size slightly. On the 8 of Hearts one can read “WS 87” and on the 5 of Hearts “WS”, “WS” probably being the initials of the artist and “87” the publication date (1887). The designs themselves have mostly been simplified or adapted from the Carl Arnold Transformation pack of 1856. Given the design on the 5 of Hearts, the artist may have come from Nuremberg. There appear never to have been any court cards. The pack has square corners and plain, dark brown backs with a discreet mention of the publisher’s name. Numbered, limited edition of 800 packs with a leaflet in Italian and German►
Above: Schwarze Katze (or Gioco del Gatto Nero) published by Vito Arienti, Edizioni del Solleone, Lissone, Italy, 1984. 40 cards + 1 Joker + leaflet with game rules in Italian and German, in cardboard sleeve. Size: 59.5 x 100 mm.
See the cardboard sleeve►
Reference
Field, Albert: Transformation Playing Cards. U.S. Games Systems, Inc.; 1987. #40.
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.
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