Royal Dutch Mail
Elegant “Nieuw Neerlandia” pattern designed by M.A. Koekkoek and produced by Speelkaartenfabriek Nederland, c.1930s
Nederland Line Royal Dutch Mail shipping publicity deck featuring court cards and aces in the elegant, rococo-style “Nieuw Neerlandia” pattern designed by the famous Dutch artist Marinus Adrianus Koekkoek (1873-1944) and produced in chromolithography by Speelkaartenfabriek Nederland, c.1930s
Above: Nederland Line Royal Dutch Mail shipping publicity deck produced by Speelkaartenfabriek Nederland with double index letters (Dutch & English), c.1930s. One of a pair - one red and one blue - both in anonymous boxes, and anonymous within. Decks were also produced with alternative indices or plain aces. Images courtesy Matt Probert.
Above: VNS (United Netherlands Navigation Company) deck by Speelkaartenfabriek Nederland Amsterdam, 1930s. Image courtesy Rex Pitts.
By 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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