Phone and smart cards
Phonecards with playing card designs.
A selection of phone and smart cards dating mainly from the 1990s featuring playing cards in one form or another. Those shown here are from Austria (Piatnik), Belgium, Brazil, France, Great Britain, Italy and Japan. The ones from Italy are the most interesting from a playing card collector’s point of view, having a playing-card motif on both sides.
NOTE: some of the cards shown have been scanned still sealed in their original cellophane wrapping.
By Roddy Somerville
France • Member since May 31, 2022 • Contact
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.
Related Articles
Ogdens Beauties & Military cigarette cards
Cigarette cards featuring beauties and military uniforms with playing-card insets.
Victorian grocer’s scale plate
Large flat plate decorated with highly coloured English cards and royal arms.
Sylvanian Families mini playing cards
Miniature cards in sheet form with Sylvanian Families characters on the courts and Jokers.
The making of a Bridge or Bézique marker
This post-mortem was carried out on a Bezique marker which was already falling apart.
Easter Playing Cards
Egg-shaped cards with rabbit designs in soft, pastel colours for Easter.
Nokia II
Advertising pack for the Finnish firm Nokia showing different mobile phones.
Sweetnotes playing cards
Heart-shaped cards with sweet notes on all the backs.
Compagnie Industrielle des Téléphones
Publicity pack featuring various historical figures “on the ‘phone”.
A New Year’s Greeting
in the form of playing cards
Fujitsu playing cards
Colourful advertising pack for Fujitsu Limited, reminiscent of the flower power/psychedelic era.
Piquet: the game and its artifacts
Piquet may be the oldest card game which is still played today with origins going back to early 16th...
Marie and Laurent’s Wedding
Wedding invitation and thank you card in the form of playing cards. France, 2019.
The Jovial Cards
Publicity items for a group of entertainers, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, UK, 1911.
Leather Card Case Patent Application
In 1932, a patent was granted to Colin Hart and George Franklin for a leather case in the form of a ...
47: Welch’s postcards and De La Rue’s redrawing
There are a number of court card designs that have never actually been produced as cards. It's a sha...
Music Manuscripts
Artwork featuring playing cards in Music Manuscripts
Draughts League Medals
Arthur Charles Prince worked for De la Rue as a playing card cutter and later was promoted to superv...
Pope Joan Trays
Some traditional Pope Joan boards comprise a circular tray, others are square, divided into sections...
Playing Cards in other cards
Secondary applications of playing cards.
Lottery Scratch Playing Card
Move your mouse over the scratch area...
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 60 days
