The World of Playing Cards Logo
Published July 05, 2011 Updated June 12, 2023

Anonymous

Anonymous Moroccan Playing Cards for Royal Air Maroc airlines and others...

Morocco anonymous Advertising Arabic Aviation Spanish National Pattern Add to Collection
detail from King of Clubs

Anonymous Moroccan Playing Cards

Many packs of playing cards are produced in Morocco anonymously. There are no inscriptions or manufacturer's details on any of the cards. Usually these are found on the Ace of Coins and the Fours of Coins and Cups, or the wrapper. As can be seen in the examples shown below, these packs are usually virtually identical, with only slight differences in the re-drawn images which faithfully conform to the old “Spanish National Pattern” as produced by Camoin of Marseille until 1971. The Kings' robes totally obscure their feet and the horses are bright blue. The motifs seen on the Ace of Coins and the Fours of Coins and Cups are modelled after the features on the same cards in the old Spanish decks.

anonymous Spanish-suited playing cards for Royal Air Maroc airlines

Above: anonymous Spanish-suited playing cards for Royal Air Maroc airlines, 40 cards.

anonymous Spanish-suited playing cards

Above: anonymous Spanish-suited playing cards with Arabic inscriptions on several cards, 40 cards. Close inspection of the card designs, especially the faces, suggests this pack is by the same manufacturer as the above example for Royal Air Maroc. The back design has a repeating pattern of horse heads, moon crescents and dots.

anonymous Spanish-suited playing cards

Above: anonymous Spanish-suited playing cards with a palm tree motif on several cards, 40 cards.

avatar
1,433 Articles

By Simon Wintle

Member since February 01, 1996

Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.


Related Articles

Woodblock and Stencil King of Diamonds

Woodblock and Stencil King of Diamonds

A limited edition art print of the King of Diamonds 1984 woodblock joker.

Woodblock and Stencil Joker

Woodblock and Stencil Joker

A limited edition art print of the 1984 woodblock joker.

Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Hearts

Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Hearts

A limited edition art print of the Jack of Hearts 1984 woodblock joker.

Woodblock and Stencil Queen of Clubs

Woodblock and Stencil Queen of Clubs

A limited edition art print of the Queen of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.

2001 Kuzco, l’empereur mégalo

Kuzco, l’empereur mégalo

Notched cards featuring toys representing characters from the Disney film Kuzco, as offered by McDon...

1985 Hilti I

Hilti I

Promotional pack for Hilti power tools, with courts in medieval costume and non-standard pips.

1990 Transair

Transair

Humorous designs promoting Transair, a German charter flight operator.

1972 Feh Schnapskarten

Feh Schnapskarten

Colourful promotional pack for Feh household and toilet papers.

1993 Hansaplast<sup>®</sup>

Hansaplast®

Advertising pack for Hansaplast, with comic courts sporting sticking plasters.

1988 Lorilleux International

Lorilleux International

Promotional pack for Lorilleux International’s Lotus inks, with designs by James Hodges.

1986 B. Braun-Dexon<sup>®</sup>

B. Braun-Dexon®

Publicity pack promoting B. Braun-Dexon’s atraumatic needles, with non-standard courts and pips.

1991 54 Affiches Retro

54 Affiches Retro

54 different old French advertising posters, mainly for travel and health products.

1970 Loewe: Moda Europea Siglo XVII

Loewe: Moda Europea Siglo XVII

Luxury pack for the Spanish fashion house Loewe, with 17th century costume designs by Margot Hamilto...

1965 ČZ playing cards

ČZ playing cards

Advertising pack for the Czechoslovak motorcycle factory Česká Zbrojovka.

1987 Bischofszell

Bischofszell

Advertising pack for the food producer Bischofszell, designed by Heinz Looser-Brenner, with non-stan...

1975 Scheffmacher

Scheffmacher

Advertising pack for Scheffmacher, master painters in Schaffhausen, with comic designs by Fritz Bünz...

1968 Knoll International

Knoll International

Geometric designs by the French artist Jean Garçon for Knoll International, the furniture company.

1980 SEMP playing cards

SEMP playing cards

Modified Anglo-American courts advertising a French medical publishing company.

2017 Campari playing cards

Campari playing cards

Publicity pack for Campari, designed for the Portuguese or Brazilian market.

1985 Hôtels-Grils Campanile

Hôtels-Grils Campanile

Publicity pack for the Campanile hotel and restaurant chain featuring French provincial costumes, wi...

Brooks dna playing cards

Brooks dna playing cards

Brooks dna playing cards produced by Gemaco for Brooks running shoes.

Golf playing cards

Golf playing cards

Golf playing cards published by Marks & Spencer, UK.

1790 Pere Pau Rotxotxo Puigdoura

Pere Pau Rotxotxo Puigdoura

Spanish national pattern by Pere Pau Rotxotxo Puigdoura (1766–1797).

2007 Shrek the Third playing cards

Shrek the Third playing cards

Characters from the 2007 film Shrek the Third, a DreamWorks Animation production.

1983 Jeu de cartes Armelle

Jeu de cartes Armelle

Advertising pack designed by James Hodges for a company specialising in regional cakes and biscuits....

1970 Louis De Poortere

Louis De Poortere

Psychedelic designs promoting Louis De Poortere, a company selling carpets and rugs.

2019 Murphy Varnish pack

Murphy Varnish pack

Reproduction of the 1883 Murphy Varnish transformation pack, USA, 2019

2019 Pendleton playing cards

Pendleton playing cards

Pendleton playing cards inspired by indigenous American artwork, USA, 2019.

1880 Âs Nas playing cards with box

Âs Nas playing cards with box

Hand made cards from Persia

2010 Specsavers playing cards

Specsavers playing cards

to help you see better when playing cards

2003 Historic Early Aviation

Historic Early Aviation

Reproductions of cigarette cards from 1910 on the subject of the early days of aviation.

2004 On-line offsite data backup

On-line offsite data backup

On-line offsite data backup publicity playing cards produced by The Bunker, United Kingdom, c. 2004....

Âs Nas

Âs Nas

Âs Nas type playing cards from Persia.

1968 Möbel-Spiel

Möbel-Spiel

Publicity pack for the East German furniture industry, with designs by Werner-Hans Schlegel.

1986 Clamcleats playing cards

Clamcleats playing cards

Clamcleats playing cards for sailors designed by Celia Allison, New Zealand, 1986.

1983 Les Montgolfières 1783-1983

Les Montgolfières 1783-1983

Honouring the bicentenary of the Montgolfier brothers’ first balloon flights in 1783.

2006 Hot-Air Balloons & Co.

Hot-Air Balloons & Co.

Hot-air balloons and airships from the early days to 1988, with designs by S. Baraldi and F. Tacconi...

Pretty Frills

Pretty Frills

‘Pretty Frills’ playing cards promoting curtain and blind accessories.

1971 Gibert Jeune

Gibert Jeune

Publicity pack for Gibert Jeune, the famous Parisian bookshop, with designs by James Hodges.

1990 The Saab 900 Convertible playing cards

The Saab 900 Convertible playing cards

A flicker pack with different backs, advertising the Saab 900 Convertible motor car.

1933 De La Rue 1932-1933 Sample Book of Advertising cards

De La Rue 1932-1933 Sample Book of Advertising cards

Complete contents of a sample book of advertising cards by De La Rue

1981 Burgdorf Abschreckhärtetechnik

Burgdorf Abschreckhärtetechnik

Promotional pack for a German steel hardening business, with designs by Costante Costantini.

1967 Glico Almond Chocolate

Glico Almond Chocolate

Glico Almond Chocolate playing cards with designs by Izumi Tamai, produced by Nintendo, Japan.

2005 Tarot of the Thousand and One Nights (1001 Nights Tarot)

Tarot of the Thousand and One Nights (1001 Nights Tarot)

This tarot deck captures the idealised Eastern world's magic from the eighteenth and nineteenth cent...