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.
Schwarze Katze (or Gioco del Gatto Nero)
Reproduction of a 40-card transformation pack with designs by “WS”, adapted for the game of Black Cat.
Le Jeu des Peintres
Modern designs by 19 contemporary artists including Peynet and Hodges.
Mario Testino playing cards
A selection of Mario Testino’s photographic work in various fields, notably fashion.
Jeu de cartes des Opéras romantiques
Costumes from four operas premiered at the Paris Opera between 1830 and 1840.
Les Montgolfières 1783-1983
Honouring the bicentenary of the Montgolfier brothers’ first balloon flights in 1783.
Hot-Air Balloons & Co.
Hot-air balloons and airships from the early days to 1988, with designs by S. Baraldi and F. Tacconi.
Carte da Gioco Mongolfiere
Various hot-air balloons on a pack from a small Florentine publisher.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Characters and scenes from the Disney film of the same name, on a pack made for Eastern Europe.
Sa Majesté, le roi des jeux de cartes
A colourful pack aimed at children, with illustrations by Muriel Kerba.
Y-ME playing cards
Works by 54 American artists in aid of a breast cancer charity.
The Broons and Oor Wullie playing cards
Characters from The Broons and Oor Wullie comic strips on their 75th anniversary.
Disney Princess
Featuring Disney Princesses and Enchanting Tales in two sizes of pack made for Eastern Europe.
Mickey Mouse Rummy
Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and other Disney characters on a pack made for Eastern Europe.
Mercante in Fiera di Jacovitti
Traditional Italian card game with comic designs by Benito Jacovitti.
Bolognese pattern
Standard Bolognese pattern pack by Murari of Bari.
Dandy Rock’n Bubble
56 rock and pop stars of the 1980s, issued in Denmark with bubble gum.
El Jueves playing cards
Caricatures of 52 famous Spaniards for the satirical magazine “El Jueves”.
Naipe Navarro
Historical figures and artefacts from Navarre with designs by M. Sinués for the Navarre Association of Volunteer Blood Donors.
Bankunión playing cards
Ingredients and recipes for 24 dishes from different regions of Spain.
Gibert Jeune
Publicity pack for Gibert Jeune, the famous Parisian bookshop, with designs by James Hodges.
Schweden Spielkarten
54 different souvenir views of famous people and places in Sweden.
Souvenir Playing Cards from Lebanon
Multicoloured Belgian/Genoese pattern cards, probably printed by Fournier for Lebanon.
The Saab 900 Convertible playing cards
A flicker pack with different backs, advertising the Saab 900 Convertible motor car.
I Tarocchi del Cinema (di Sesar)
A set of Tarot trumps on the subject of the cinema, with designs by Sergio Sarri.
Le carte della Fortuna
Modern Italian fortune-telling pack from 1975, with designs by Sergio Ruffolo.
Art Nouveau Oracle
A Lenormand-type fortune-telling pack in the Art Nouveau style.
Il Mercante in Fiera del Solleone
Traditional Italian card game with bold designs by Costante Costantini.
A Gardener’s Labyrinth
Photographs of flowers, herbs and vegetables by leading photographer Tessa Traeger.
Political Players
Caricatures by Garth Stackhouse of American politicians involved in the 1996 presidential campaign.
Shamrock Irish Heritage playing cards
A celebration of some of Ireland’s most famous patriots, politicians and poets.
Lenormand Wahrsage-Karten No. 55
Conventional Lenormand designs on a pack from Piatnik but with unconventional numbering.
Italia playing cards
Small, narrow cards designed by Osvaldo Menegazzi, bearing a strong resemblance to a Swedish pattern pack.
Napoleone playing cards
Long, narrow cards designed by Osvaldo Menegazzi, featuring Napoleon, Josephine and various soldiers.
Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico
Promotional pack for Chianti Classico wine, with designs by Costante Costantini.
Burgdorf Abschreckhärtetechnik
Promotional pack for a German steel hardening business, with designs by Costante Costantini.
Henley-on-Thames playing cards
Calendar events and visitor attractions to be found in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.
Souvenir Playing Cards of Egypt
55 different photographic views of Egypt in full colour.
Novelty Playing Cards
Standard designs by M.F. Milward of Chicago, resembling those of Andrew Dougherty.
Jeu Tour de France 89 (Domex)
Cyclists from the Domex-Weinmann team who took part in the 1989 Tour de France.
Glorious Scotland
54 photographic views of Scotland by Duncan I. McEwan.
Budweiser Budvar beer
Colourful designs promoting Budweiser Budvar beer from Czechoslovakia.
Krónikás kártya
A German-suited pack from Hungary in honour of the millennium.
Carte Bolognesi
New designs reinforcing Bologna’s reputation as the gastronomic capital of Italy.
Le carte di Tex
Characters from the famous Italian comic book series, Tex, created by Gian Luigi Bonelli and Aurelio Galleppini.
Florentine pattern variant
Non-standard designs by Chiari of Florence with some of the features of a traditional Florentine pattern pack.
Carte da gioco anticomuniste del Comitato civico
Anti-Communist propaganda pack with satirical designs by Benito Jacovitti.
Budapest souvenir
Colour views of the Hungarian capital, Budapest, on all the courts and Aces.
Salmon Flies
Icelandic pack featuring a different salmon fly on every card.
Spielkarten für Sammler
Cards on cards in celebration of playing-card collector Franz Braun’s 75th birthday.
Vieux gréements
Illustrations by Yannick Pennanguer of old sailing ships for Brest 2004, a maritime festival.
Railway Posters Playing Cards
54 classic images from a bygone age of railway travel from the National Railway Museum, York.