Roddy Somerville
- France • Member since May 31, 2022
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.
Les Chemins de Saint-Jacques
Paintings, statues, monuments and maps associated with different routes to Compostela.
Baraja del Camino de Santiago
Designs by Guitián, published by Ideas Peregrinas, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, c2018.
Diabolik Poker
Characters from the Italian comic series Diabolik, with designs by Paolo and Sergio Zaniboni.
Lo Zodiaco
French-suited fortune-telling pack with distinctive designs by Italian artist Sergio Ruffolo.
CCCP playing cards
Soviet and other Communist celebrities depicted on every card, designed by Vladislav Pankevitch.
Into space and back
A NASA experiment to test a new inflammable material for playing cards.
Baraja Aragonesa
Celebrating the costumes, architecture, coins and crafts of Aragon in Spain, with designs by Raúl Rodriguez Segurado.
Multicard
A Spanish-suited pack with multiple uses including roulette and dice.
The Seven Ages of Man
Original paintings by Jane Daniell depicting characters from Shakespeare’s plays.
Alabama Crimson Tide 1972
Photos of American football players representing the University of Alabama in 1972.
La Rayonnante
Publicity pack for a French cleaning business, with suit-signs given smiling faces.
Easter Playing Cards
Egg-shaped cards with rabbit designs in soft, pastel colours for Easter.
The New Game of Tarot (or Tarock)
Regional costumes and alpine flora on a French Tarot game pack marking 600 years of playing cards in Europe.
Jeu des Chats
Eighteen different cat breeds drawn by Marie-France Gary.
Les Moyens de Locomotion Insolites
Unlikely, ridiculous or just plain impossible means of transport, drawn by Hubert Rublon.
Mexican Artdeck
Works by 14 different 20th century Mexican artists.
Chandelier No. 55 (Nintendo)
Standard international pattern playing cards made in occupied Japan, c.1950.
Pierre Etaix
Colourful, stylised courts designed by the French clown, comedian and filmmaker, Pierre Etaix.
Clavecin
Courts in 18th century costume, with designs by F.R. Gabiraud.
Velux International
Publicity pack for the Danish company, Velux, manufacturers of roof windows and skylights.
Modet Sardegna
Costumes, masks and symbols from the island of Sardinia, with designs by Luciano Dettori and Tonino Caputo.
Le Jeu des 4 Opéras
Characters from five famous operas brought alive in artist Silvia Maddonni’s inimitable style.
Jeu de la Révolution
Artist Silvia Maddonni’s take on various characters from the French Revolution, in honour of the bicentenary in 1989.
ZPA Trutnov
Publicity pack for a Czech company making mains receivers and electrical control units.
Jan Becher playing cards
Publicity pack for Jan Becher, a Czech liqueur company, with modified international courts.
Schwyzer Fasnachts-Jass
Traditional carnival figures from the Swiss canton Schwyz, as interpreted by the artist Léon Schnyder.
Joker Tell
Comic celebration of 700 years of the Swiss Confederation, 1291-1991, with designs by Roland Gazzotti.
Old Bachelor™
The 90’s version of Old Maid with illustrations by Susan Wise.
Swiss Souvenir
55 different scenic photographic views of Switzerland.
Standard Swiss-German pattern (single-ended)
20th century version of a single-ended Swiss-German pattern pack for the game of Jass.
Genevan Dauphiné pattern
Unusual example of a double-ended Genevan Dauphiné pattern pack from c1910.
Mini Jass
Pocket-size cards with modern designs for playing the Swiss national card game, Jass.
La Compagnie de 1602
Characters from the annual festival held to commemorate the failed attempt to storm Geneva in 1602.
New Musical Express
54 black and white photographs of solo singers, duos and groups popular around 1990.
France, Champions du Monde 2018
Colour photographs of the World Cup-winning French football squad of 2018.
Guildhall Art Gallery playing cards
54 different paintings from the collection of the Guildhall Art Gallery, London.
The Fat Pack
A vastly expanded pack with 8 suits for playing traditional or new games, devised by Roger Howard Butler Clough.
Ancient Egypt playing cards
Fully illustrated set of cards depicting various aspects of Ancient Egyptian life and culture.
Baraja Canaria
Comic courts and non-standard suits representing the Canary Islands, with designs by Eduardo Millares Sall.
Festa Major de Vilafranca 1988
Colourful figures associated with the annual festival held in Vilafranca, Catalonia.
Loco Jumbo playing cards
54 different colour photographs of steam locomotives from around the world.
Haig Whisky
Japanese advertising pack for Haig Scotch whisky with modified international courts.
Kawasaki Trump
Humorous publicity pack for Kawasaki featuring some of their many products.
Maxim playing cards
Publicity pack from Nintendo for Maxim freeze dried coffee.
Ukiyo-E (Nintendo)
Classic examples of Ukiyo-E painting.
Les Ordres de Chevalerie
Six orders of chivalry represented pictorially by the artist Patrick Dallanégra.
Le Burling
1960s pack from Annecy with non-standard suits all connected with the office.
Ethiopian playing cards
A pack with court cards reflecting different ethnic and cultural groups found in Ethiopia.
Gruppo Perotti playing cards
Stunningly beautiful designs by the Japanese artist Tiger Tateishi for Gruppo Perotti.
Ilford playing cards
Colourful advertising pack for Ilford designed by Mario Grasso, based on standard English courts.
SCANIA 1891-1991
Centenary playing cards illustrating vintage trucks and buses produced by the Swedish company Scania.