Roddy Somerville
Member since May 31, 2022Roddy 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.
Martinique
Original designs from the French overseas department of Martinique by local artist Martine Porry.
Polish fortune-telling cards
Fortune-telling pack with divinatory rhymes in Polish, c.1985.
Bolzani e Spagnolo
Stylish monochrome designs by the Archinstudio of Guido Bolzani and Gian-Piero Spagnolo, printed by Masenghini, Bergamo, Italy, 1977.
Cartes Illustrées
Standard French designs adapted for children. Made by France Cartes for La Grande Récré, c.2016.
Paintings from Bulgaria
Fifty-five paintings of Bulgaria published as “Sense of Bulgaria” by Land of Roses Ltd, Bulgaria, c.2015.
Beaujolais je t’aime …
Pack promoting Beaujolais wine published by Editions du Nuton, France.
Happy Playing Cards
Cheerful, colourful designs on handmade paper from Nepal.
Rare Stamps of the World
Fifty-five rare stamps of the world in full colour, published jointly by David Feldman SA of Switzerland and Tower Philatelic, USA, 2001.
San Marino Souvenir
San Marino stamp designs combined with photographic views by La Fotometalgrafica Emiliana, c.1975.
Estonian Ethnographic Playing Cards
Estonian national costumes and everyday items feature on this pack made in Estonia.
Ergomia
Complete re-design of traditional pack into what the publishers considered to be ergonomically efficient.
Academia Catavencu
Caricatures of Romanian political figures by Academia Catavencu.
Wink Playing Cards
A pack of 53 temporary tattoo designs published by Wink, Riga, Latvia, c.2017.
Ganjifa™
A colourful pack of round cards with Ganjifa designs by Asha Industries, Mumbai, India, 2002.
Playing Cards from Mauritius
Pack designed for La Maison de L’Artisanat Ltée, Mauritius, by Hervé de Cotter.
Handmade playing cards
Non-standard designs on Nepalese handmade paper for Pilgrims Book House, Kathmandu, Nepal, c.2000.
Annapurna
Annapurna playing cards produced and published by Himalayan MapHouse, Kathmandu, Nepal.
El Al Airlines
Pack designed by Jean David (1908-93) for El Al Airlines. The courts are named after Biblical characters.
Clans & Tartans of Scotland
“Clans & Tartans of Scotland” deck of cards designed and illustrated by Romilly Squire, 1997.
‘501’ playing cards by Alf Cooke
“Five 'o One” playing cards, a version of the Dondorf Rhineland pattern, manufactured by Universal Playing Card Co. Ltd for export to Scandinavia.
The Birth of Motorization 1885-1985
The Birth of Motorization playing cards designed by Radoslaw Radziejewski