Jacob Bagges AB
Playing cards published by Jacob Bagges AB Stockholm, close copies of Dondorf designs.
Jacob Bagges AB Stockholm
Very similar to Dondorf’s Luxuskarte No.75 produced for the Danish firm Adolph Wulff of Copenhagen (c.1928) however a number of small differences suggest the deck is either a close copy, or a special custom edition for Jacob Bagges Soner of Stockholm. Besides the narrower format, the main differences are that in this version the four queens wear crowns whereas in the Dondorf version they don’t. The four kings are missing the small crowns over their suit symbols and two of the jacks have differences in their weapons. There are no inscriptions on any face card, only the words “AB Jacob Bagges Soner Stockholm” appear on the reverse. Another very similar version of the deck was produced for F. Tilgmann in Helsinki. The Joker is a copy of the American Bank Note Co’s joker (c.1908-1914) more →

Above: playing cards published by Jacob Bagges AB Stockholm which are similar to Dondorf’s Luxuskarte No.75 produced for the Danish firm Adolph Wulff of Copenhagen. Images courtesy Rex Pitts.

By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)
Member since January 30, 2009
View ArticlesRex's main interest was in card games, because, he said, they were cheap and easy to get hold of in his early days of collecting. He is well known for his extensive knowledge of Pepys games and his book is on the bookshelves of many.
His other interest was non-standard playing cards. He also had collections of sheet music, music CDs, models of London buses, London Transport timetables and maps and other objects that intrigued him.
Rex had a chequered career at school. He was expelled twice, on one occasion for smoking! Despite this he trained as a radio engineer and worked for the BBC in the World Service.
Later he moved into sales and worked for a firm that made all kinds of packaging, a job he enjoyed until his retirement. He became an expert on boxes and would always investigate those that held his cards. He could always recognize a box made for Pepys, which were the same as those of Alf Cooke’s Universal Playing Card Company, who printed the card games. This interest changed into an ability to make and mend boxes, which he did with great dexterity. He loved this kind of handicraft work.
His dexterity of hand and eye soon led to his making card games of his own design. He spent hours and hours carefully cutting them out and colouring them by hand.