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308 Articles

Matt Probert

  • United Kingdom • Member since March 02, 2012

I have adored playing cards since before I was seven years old, and was brought up on packs of Waddington's No 1. As a child I was fascinated by the pictures of the court cards.

Over the next fifty years I was seduced by the artwork in Piatnik's packs and became a collector of playing cards.

Seeking more information about various unidentified packs I discovered the World of Playing Cards website and became an enthusiastic contributor researching and documenting different packs of cards.

I describe my self as a playing card archaeologist, using detective work to identify and date obscure packs of cards discovered in old houses, flea markets and car boot sales.

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2019 Ye Witches’ Fortune Cards

Ye Witches’ Fortune Cards

Review of the 2019 edition Ye Witches Fortune Cards No 62

2002 Carte da Gioco Toscana

Carte da Gioco Toscana

Carte da Gioco Toscana souvenir deck, 2002.

2019 Diaoyu Poker 8068

Diaoyu Poker 8068

8068 by Diaoyu Poker (China) 2019.

2021 Crocheter’s Playing Cards

Crocheter’s Playing Cards

Crocheter’s playing cards sent to subscribers of the Crochet Society box, 2021.

1950 Gulliver’s Travels

Gulliver’s Travels

Gulliver’s Travels card game no.293 published by Piatnik, c.1950.

2018 Greenpeace Playing Cards

Greenpeace Playing Cards

Campaign deck for Greenpeace with drawings of penguins, seals, whales and dolphins.

1980 My Word

My Word

My Word “The last word in card games” designed by Michael Kindred and Malcolm Smith, published in 1980 by Waddingtons.

1920 Qantas

Qantas

Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia and is the world's third-oldest airline still in operation, having been founded in November 1920.

A Case Study

Case Study: using detective work to identify and date a pack discovered in charity shop.

1932 Leather Card Case Patent Application

Leather Card Case Patent Application

In 1932, a patent was granted to Colin Hart and George Franklin for a leather case in the form of a book cover for playing cards.

2019 Military Pin Up

Military Pin Up

Military Pin Up created by Sviatoslay Pashchuk (Ukraine) 2019.

2015 Bicycle Steampunk

Bicycle Steampunk

Bicycle Steampunk playing cards with Gothic artwork by Anne Stokes, 2015.

2019 World of Harry Potter

World of Harry Potter

World of Harry Potter playing cards produced by Winning Moves under Waddingtons Number 1 brand, 2019.

1997 Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy VII is a role-playing video game.

1970 Casais Portugueses

Casais Portugueses

Matching game by Majora, Lisbon, c.1970, featuring figures in national dress from Portuguese provinces and colonies

2019 Carousel Playing Cards

Carousel Playing Cards

Carousel Playing Cards commissioned by Tesco stores, 2019.

2018 Bicycle Knights

Bicycle Knights

Bicycle Knights playing cards designed by Sam Hayles in 2018.

1976 Period Pieces

Period Pieces

National Trust Period Pieces Antiques Game produced in 1976 by Dinosaur Publications.

1953 Crown the Queen

Crown the Queen

Crown the Queen card game invented by Elaine Burton, c.1953.

Souvenir from Zakynthos

Souvenir from Zakynthos by Euro Card.

2018 Gods of Egypt

Gods of Egypt

Gods of Egypt playing cards dedicated to the culture of Ancient Egypt.

2017 Bicycle 808 Bourbon

Bicycle 808 Bourbon

Bicycle 808 Bourbon themed deck by US Playing Card Company 2017.

2006 National Geographic Nature

National Geographic Nature

National Geographic Nature playing cards, 2006.

1960 Tease Me

Tease Me

‘Tease Me’ 1960s glamour pack.

Souvenir of Norway

Souvenir of Norway deck.

1990 Klutz Card Deck

Klutz Card Deck

Klutz Card Deck with comic courts.

1996 Woman’s Hour

Woman’s Hour

The Woman’s Hour playing cards published by David Westnedge, 1996.

2017 Bicycle Civil War Deck

Bicycle Civil War Deck

The Civil War Deck designed by Jackson Robinson, 2017.

2013 Bicycle Emotions

Bicycle Emotions

Bicycle Emotions playing cards with custom emotions on the courts to help you bluff at cards, 2013.

1978 Alphabetti Spaghetti

Alphabetti Spaghetti

Alphabetti Spaghetti Happy Families game for Crosse & Blackwell c.1978.

2017 Age of Dragons

Age of Dragons

Age of Dragons by Anne Stokes, 2017.

2010 Anne Stokes Collection

Anne Stokes Collection

Anne Stokes Collection playing cards, 2010.

2010 Piwiarnia Pub in Warsaw

Piwiarnia Pub in Warsaw

Advertising Deck for the Piwiarnia Pub in Warsaw.

1979 The Deck of Cards

The Deck of Cards

The Deck of Cards by Andrew Jones Art, 1979.

1983 Les Géants d’un Mythe

Les Géants d’un Mythe

Les Géants d'un Mythe created by François Poulain and manufactured by Grimaud, 1983.

1997 I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! promotional playing cards, 1997.

2015 Hendrick’s Gin

Hendrick’s Gin

Nice advertising deck for Hendrick’s Gin, c.2015.

2006 Caesars Palace®

Caesars Palace®

‘Aristocrat’ Casino Cards with special courts for Caesars Palace® by USPCC 2006.

1878 Tyrolean Playing Cards

Tyrolean Playing Cards

Facsimile of patriotic 1878 Tyrolean playing cards published by Piatnik in 1992.

2005 Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire, 2005.

1940 New Zealand Souvenir

New Zealand Souvenir

Souvenir from New Zealand by Croxley (John Dickinson) c.1950.

1950 Billabong playing cards

Billabong playing cards

Billabong Dual Deck by Hudson Industries, 1950s.

Chinese Jokers

Chinese playing card makers have probably produced the widest variety of jokers of any single part of the world.

2018 Ken McCarthy

Ken McCarthy

An unknown deck by Ken McCarthy, c.2018.

1905 Ocean to Ocean Souvenir of Canada, c.1905

Ocean to Ocean Souvenir of Canada, c.1905

Ocean to Ocean Souvenir of Canada by Chas Goodall & Son Ltd, c.1905.

1930 Pooltella

Pooltella

Pooltella cards by John Waddington Ltd, the cards that simplify football pool forecasts, 1930s.

1970 Characters of “The Water Margin”

Characters of “The Water Margin”

Characters from the Chinese novel “The Water Margin” - 水滸撲克.

1980 Les Grandes Figures de L’Histoire Bretonne

Les Grandes Figures de L’Histoire Bretonne

Les Grandes Figures de L’Histoire Bretonne

1994 Hearts of London

Hearts of London

Hearts of London for British Heart Foundation 1994.

2017 Cat Chaos

Cat Chaos

‘Cat Chaos Celebrity Edition’ card game by Ginger Fox Ltd., 2017.

2011 Roman Empire

Roman Empire

Roman Empire playing cards designed by G. Wyatt for Green Board Game Co Ltd.,