Nintendo deck with Medieval theme
Courts in medieval costume holding both French and Italian/Spanish suit-signs.
There are in fact only five principal illustrations in this pack as the courts are identical within each suit. The figures on the courts are in medieval costume and hold French suit-signs at one end of each card and Italian/Spanish suit-signs at the other. On the Spades suit is a knight in armour, on the Clubs suit a squire, on the Diamonds suit a merchant, and on the Hearts suit the lady of the castle. A jester playing the lute can be found on each Joker. On the back are two crusaders, each holding a shield and a lance. This is one of the scarcer of the early Nintendo packs as it was issued in an edition of just 2,250 packs.
Above: deck with Medieval theme made by Nintendo PC Co. Ltd, Kyoto, Japan, 1971. 52 cards + 2 (identical) Jokers in plastic box marked “NP” (for Nissan Palsus). Size: 61 x 87 mm.
By Roddy Somerville
France • Member since May 31, 2022
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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