Kings and Queens of Portugal
Cameo portraits of Portuguese royalty from 1128 to 1910.
In all honesty, the kings and queens of Portugal were not blessed with good looks. That is clear when one looks through this gallery of 54 portraits. Each king or queen is named above his/her portrait. Underneath are their nicknames – they all seemed to have at least one – and the dates of their reigns. The Ks, Qs, Js and Jokers have additional markings in two corners, perhaps to make them stand out more from the pip cards. The Portuguese royal coat of arms (without the dragons) is featured on the reverse. Not printed on proper playing-card board. On the box is the designer’s name, Helena Nunes. See the box►
Above: Reis e Rainhas de Portugal (Kings and Queens of Portugal) playing cards made by PaçoPrint - Artes Gráficas Lda, Penamaior, Paços de Ferreira, Portugal. First edition, October 2012. 52 cards + 2 Jokers in tuck box. Size: 61 x 90.5 mm. The box is the same on both sides apart from the text (one side in English, the other in Portuguese).
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.
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