Les Cartes pour l'Égalité
Playing cards for gender equality, created on the 500th anniversary of classic French cards
This pack of French standard pattern playing cards was made to create gender equality in the male dominated hierarchy of French suited playing cards. The Kings are no longer dominant and the kings (Roi) now consist of two kings and two queens. The queens (Dame) have been replaced with two dukes and two duchesses while the jacks (Valet) bear the names of revolutionary men & women who fought for the republic and gender equality. The pack was published in 2010 on the 500th anniversary of classic French cards according to the designer. The cards are the brainchild of Gonzaque Jobbé-Duval who decided to retain the traditional style of the court cards so that players can still easily use them. The pack has 52 cards and 2 jokers and was printed by Carta Mundi. Incuded is a explanatory leaflet in French.
More information can be found here, where the pack is still available for purchase.
It does not seem to have been very successful !
Below: the box.
All cards shown are from the collection of Paul Symons ©
By Paul Symons
Member since February 01, 2016
I'm British but I have now lived in the Netherlands for more than 50 years and am still enjoying every minute of it. I started collecting playing cards in the early 1980’s after speaking with my neighbour who was at that time a croupier in a casino. I started with just collecting jokers, but that soon led me to complete packs of cards and eventually to specialising in old and antique playing cards, particularly those of C.L. Wüst of Frankfurt, Germany. I am presently the Dutch representative of the I.P.C.S. and the auctioneer at the IPCS conventions.
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