Leather Card Case Patent Application

In 1932 a patent was granted to Colin Hart and George Franklin for a leather case in the form of a book cover for playing cards. The case was provided with a fastening strap and a silk ejector strip which went behind the cards to facilitate their easy removal.

Above: 1932 Patent for leather card case in form of a book. See original files here►

This particular model was patented in 1932, that's not to say there had not been earlier models. Some of these cases were made for the Furness Shipping Line by GJ Fuller & Co of Oxford Street London.

Above: leather card case produced for the Furness Shipping Line by GJ Fuller & Co of Oxford Street London.

Leather card cases in the form of a book are not uncommon from other parts of the world.

Above: German ‘Skat’ deck made by Vereinigte Altenburger und Stralsunder Spielkarten-Fabriken in leather booklet, c.1935  see more►

Above: Canadian National Railways souvenir deck, dated to 1927  see more►

By Matt Probert

Member since March 02, 2012

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I have adored playing cards since before I was seven years old, and was brought up on packs of Waddington's No 1. As a child I was fascinated by the pictures of the court cards.

Over the next fifty years I was seduced by the artwork in Piatnik's packs and became a collector of playing cards.

Seeking more information about various unidentified packs I discovered the World of Playing Cards website and became an enthusiastic contributor researching and documenting different packs of cards.

I describe my self as a playing card archaeologist, using detective work to identify and date obscure packs of cards discovered in old houses, flea markets and car boot sales.