Cigarrillos Compadre, Peru, early 1900s
Spanish-suited playing cards for Cigarrillos Compadre, Peru, early 1900s

Spanish-suited playing cards printed for Cigarrillos Compadre, Peru, early 1900s

Above: Spanish-suited playing cards for Compadre tobacco by an unknown printer, in the Cadiz style. The ace of coins shows the symbols for the Spanish regions of Castille and Leon, whilst the coin suit symbols are decorated like compass roses. The ace of cups is also very ornate.


By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
View ArticlesCurator 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.