One tax-wrapped pack and one open but mint pack, both in their original gold-embossed leather case bearing the company arms.

Michael Goodall’s book covers Isle of Man souvenir playing cards from 1863 to 1930, a subject largely bypassed by other authors. This 60-page, A4-format volume is full of graphics and descriptive text, opening up a new collecting area for the enthusiast. Excellent reading material.

This consists of two parts: a slipcase lettered THE NEW POCKET HOYLES OR COMPANION TO THE CARD TABLE – MDXCCCV, the Roman numerals equivalent to 1805; and the matching book. The book is titled THE NEW POCKET HOYLE, CONTAINING THE GAMES OF Whist, Quadrille, Piquet, Quinze, Laansquenet, Pharo, Rouge et Noire, Cribbage, Matrimony, Cassino, Reversis, Connexions, All Fours and Speculation. This is the third edition, printed by T. Davison, White-Friars, for Robert Scholey and others in 1807. It has an attractive engraved frontispiece. The rules run to 202 pages, followed by seven and a half pages advertising books printed by Robert Scholey. The book has gilt edges and lacks the back pink leaf, but all printed pages are present. The slipcase has a few scuffs and a representation of the period ace of spades, known as a Garter Ace. The addition of the slipcase is scarce.

Published by Goodall and written by Professor Hoffmann, this 54-page, undated book measures 2.5 by 3.75 inches. Five Hundred is a game played with a joker. The book is in very good condition, with a scuff on the front cover and gilt edges.

This asymmetric, octagonal-shaped card box measures approximately 11 by 9 inches. It is made of rosewood with brass inlay and has no key. It has four compartments for playing cards and five for gaming counters. Four card-sized lifts, covered to match the box, have ribbons attached so that the cards can be lifted out; one lift retains both ribbons and the others retain one each. The interior is in very good condition, with its original covering clean and bright. The exterior is also very good, though a couple of short brass inlays are missing from the top and three from the sides, and there is a very small knock on the front edge. The cards shown are for illustration and are not included in the price, though period cards can be provided at additional cost.

These cards are copper engraved. 1765 was the year in which the taxing authorities attempted to introduce a standard ace of spades to show that duty had been paid. These were printed by the revenue and released to individual makers on payment of the required duty; it is therefore remarkable that this ace differs so much from those of other makers. The unusualness of this pack extends to the pips and court cards. It is the first non-standard design on a standard pack of playing cards in the United Kingdom. The half-length courts sit within oval frames, representing kings and queens with court bodyguards as jacks. The suit signs are a red chalice with a heart inside, a black pike head, an orange topaz cut in a diamond shape, and a green clover leaf. The court cards correspond to England, France, Spain and Portugal. Rowley & Co. operated at no. 6 in the Old Bailey. The duty ace is George III no. 11. The complete 52-card pack has plain backs. It is worn, with occasional surface marks, but has been heavily played without tears or bends. This is a very scarce 18th-century pack, and the price reflects its overall condition.

A complete pack of George III playing cards by cardmaker Hall. The duty is one shilling and sixpence [sixpence added three times], from plate no. 11 [the third re-cut, for those who are interested]. The courts are single-figured and stencil-coloured. The cards are in very good condition, rated 8/10. Insured postage is free on this item.

A complete 52-card pack of George III English playing cards by an unknown maker. No tax was levied on this item, so the ace of spades is in fact a black spade. The court cards are full-length and the cards carry no indices. The pink patterned backs measure 39 × 57 mm. The cards are lightly played, rated 7/10.

These are the first French transformation playing cards, somewhat unique in having contemporary manuscript annotations on the reverse that describe the scene depicted by each card. It is recorded that Baron Atthalin designed them while crossing from Palermo to Marseilles in 1814. The cards have plain backs and court cards depicting historical figures. They are finely etched, showing “a high level of artistic ability … with considerable detail” [Albert Field]. The Jack of Clubs is particularly interesting: a self-portrait of Atthalin designing playing cards, with his son [?] examining them. The name ‘Louis Atthalin’ appears in the shield of the legendary knight Lancelot. All 52 cards and their reverse annotations have been detailed so they can remain available to view whether or not the pack sells. The cards are in very good condition. The nine of clubs is missing a coloured club pip [this doesn’t make it more valuable!], and the five of hearts has a weak upper-left corner.

Complete set, with joker and title card, from Elaine Lewis’s limited edition of 50; this is no. 18. The transformed scenes draw on the Old Testament. Elaine’s ability to carry a scene across successive cards recalls the 19th- and 20th-century Japanese woodblock engravers. Housed in her handmade box and in mint condition. As with many handmade decks, the backing card is too strong for the other layers, causing slight bowing.