COOPEXIM

COOPEXIM is a Polish pack produced in 1965 for the Cooperative Company for Foreign Trade in Warsaw. It was designed in a colourful Renaissance style for the 25th European Bridge Championship held in Warsaw in 1966.

Above: the Coopexim Logo.

The pack was commissioned by Coopexim and printed by Fabryka Kart Trefl-Kraków (KZWP). It contains 52 cards and two jokers, measures 95 × 62 mm, and was made in two back designs: blue and red. See the red back .

The court cards show richly coloured figures in Renaissance costume. The ace of spades carries the Coopexim company mark and identifies the company as being based in Warsaw. The jokers depict a jester riding a donkey.

The deck was intended for export promotion. The advertising cards describe Coopexim's foreign-trade activities and list goods including toys, Christmas-tree ornaments, folk art, textiles, household products, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food products.

The box identifies the pack as suitable for Canasta and gives Coopexim’s Warsaw address. See the box .

My copy has four identical jokers rather than the usual two. Since all four are cut from the same sheet and are indistinguishable from the other cards, this appears to be a production error, although further examples would be needed to establish whether it was a known variant.