Renaissance Playing cards made by C.L.Wüst

The factory of C.L.Wüst of Frankfurt, Germany produced at least two types of Rococo style playing cards during the last quarter of the 19th. century. They were not the only ones to do this as packs very similar to Wüst were also produced by factories such as Maximilian Frommann, and later, Frommann & Morian of Darmstadt, Germany. Both of the packs by Wüst date from about 1880 and were printed in chromolithography.
The first pack is named Renaissance 117 on the wrapper and has scenic aces with monochrome illustrations of places in Frankfurt. The back has a pattern of blue dots and stars.

The second pack is named Cartes Superfines No.46 on the wrapper and is of a superior quality compared to the Renaissance version, with rounded gilded corners. It has plain aces and the reverse seems to have advertising as it shows a crest containing the initials MGA (or MAG?) and the date 1878 indicating an honourable mention at the world exhibition in Paris. Both packs have 32 cards and show the Wüst open star on the jack of clubs.
I have also scanned four cards from a very similar pack which is probably earlier, about 1860-1870, and has stencilled pips and court cards. There is no mention of a maker, but it may be an early version from Wüst or another factory entirely. Steinberger has been mentioned as a possibility.

Below: Renaissance 117

Below: Cartes Superfines No.46

Below: The wrappers from Renaissance 117 and Cartes Superfines No. 46

Below: four cards from a similar stencilled pack from an unknown maker

References: Catalogue of Playing Cards from the factory C.L.Wüst, set 74. Shaw/Symons 2005

All cards shown are from the collection of Paul Symons ©