H.P. Doebele
Artist-designed playing cards produced to demonstrate the quality of a printing technique.
According to Han Janssen, these cards were designed in 1961 by H.P. Doebele (1925-2010) for four sheets issued by Steendrukkerij (lithographic printers) de Jong of Hilversum and were intended to demonstrate the quality of their printing. The cards are small and have square corners. As the cards shown here do not match exactly in size, it may be that they were cut without great precision from the aforementioned sheets. A different set of colours has been used for the courts in each suit. There is a non-standard arrangement of the pips on many of the cards. The indices are in German. The design on the box lid has been coloured by hand. See the box►
Above: cards designed by H.P. Doebele and printed by Steendrukkerij de Jong, Hilversum, the Netherlands, 1961. 52 cards + 3 Jokers in drop-lid box. Size: 49.5 x 83 mm approx.
By Roddy Somerville
France • Member since May 31, 2022
Roddy started collecting stamps on his 8th birthday. In 1977 he joined the newly formed playing-card department at Stanley Gibbons in London before setting up his own business in Edinburgh four years later. His collecting interests include playing cards, postcards, stamps (especially playing cards on stamps) and sugar wrappers. He is a Past President of the Scottish Philatelic Society, a former Chairman of the IPCS, a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards and Curator of the WCMPC’s collection of playing cards. He lives near Toulouse in France.
Activity for H.P. Doebele
Sign in to comment or save this article.
Related Articles
Barok
Dutch pack from the 1950s with colourful Baroque courts, reprinted in 1983.
Het Olympisch kaart- en kwartetspel
Dual-purpose set featuring photos of sporting figures from the Netherlands on every card.
Kojak bubble gum cards
Bubble gum cards featuring stills – mainly of Telly Savalas – from the cult TV series Kojak.
Lorilleux International
Promotional pack for Lorilleux International’s Lotus inks, with designs by James Hodges.
Imperial Club playing cards
Large index broad size cards by AGMüller using a special red ink suitable for casinos.
Dietsche Playing Cards for the Dutch Shipping Company
A beautiful early pack from The Dutch Playing Card factory.
Anonymous pack of Dutch playing cards
produced just after the end of the Second World War.
Foragers playing cards
Playing cards to help to identify the edible and inedible gifts of nature.
Lost Boys
Designs created on the occasion of a chess tournament in Antwerp, 1997.
Dutch Historical playing cards
Advertising for Mopenco, the Dutch Fountain Pen King
Rapalje
Promotional pack for a Dutch Celtic folk band which performs Irish, Scottish and Dutch folk music, c...
Havermout Kwartetspel
“H-O Kwartetspel” children’s card game promoting quick cooking oatmeal (instant porridge), 1930s.
Carel de Wagenaer
Facsimile edition of cards first published by Carel de Wagenaer, Amsterdam in c.1698
Grolsch Brewery
A somewhat unusual deck specially designed for Grolsch Breweries evoking self-expression and indepen...
Speelkaarten-Fabriek Nederland “Fortuna”
Speelkaarten-Fabriek Nederland for Royal West Indian Mail Service, c.1926
Anonymous Dutch deck, 1940s
Anonymous Dutch deck, 1940s
Esveco Specialities B.V.
Alto Imaging Group playing cards manufactured by Esveco Specialities B.V., c.1990s
Sikar
Publicity playing cards for the Dutch credit company Sitters & van der Kar. The four Aces and Joke...
Netherlands
Playing cards have been known in the Low Countries since the 14th century
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 60 days
Ваня Козлов (Vanya Kozlov)
19 November 2025, 09:47SavedSaved this article to Ваня Козлов's Collection