Lincard

Published June 12, 2016 Updated April 12, 2022

“Lincard” card game invented by John William Wolf and patented in 1937.

1937 United Kingdom John William Wolf Patent Card Games

Lincard was invented by John William Wolf and patented in 1937. The game consists of a custom 49-card deck and the object is to play cards so that they link to other cards of the same suit, as shown in the photos below. Cards contain miniature representations of standard English playing cards along with extra graphics relating to the way this game is played.

See the original patent application

“Lincard” card game invented by John William Wolf and patented in 1937 “Lincard” card game invented by John William Wolf and patented in 1937

Above: “Lincard” card game invented by John William Wolf and patented in 1937. 49 cards in padded box + rules. There are no jokers. The cards were manufactured by the Universal Playing Card Co., Leeds and one of their standard back designs has been used in this pack. Seeing that there are so many tax wrapped specimens on ebay, surplus stocks may have been dumped somewhere owing to the advent of the war.


REFERENCES & CREDITS

See original patent application

Thanks to Matt Probert for additional research.

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By Simon Wintle

Member since February 01, 1996

I am the founder of The World of Playing Cards (est. 1996), a website dedicated to the history, artistry and cultural significance of playing cards and tarot. Over the years I have researched various areas of the subject, acquired and traded collections and contributed as a committee member of the IPCS and graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal. Having lived in Chile, England, Wales, and now Spain, these experiences have shaped my work and passion for playing cards. Amongst my achievements is producing a limited-edition replica of a 17th-century English pack using woodblocks and stencils—a labour of love. Today, the World of Playing Cards is a global collaborative project, with my son Adam serving as the technical driving force behind its development. His innovative efforts have helped shape the site into the thriving hub it is today. You are warmly invited to become a contributor and share your enthusiasm.

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