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Published June 16, 2016 Updated July 25, 2022

Victory

“Victory” by Pepys Games, a splendid game with caricatures of British and German leaders, published in 1940.

1940 United Kingdom Castell Bros Pepys Caricatures Humour Military Wartime Card Games Add to Collection

“Victory” is a card game typifying British humour in adversity, with caricatures of British and German leaders along with Royal Navy, Air Force and Army ranks, which was published anonymously (by Pepys Games) but registered to Castell Bros in December 1939. See the Rules

“Victory”, a splendid game with caricatures of British and German leaders, registered to Castell Bros in December 1939

Above: “Victory” card game with caricatures of British and German leaders, registered to Castell Bros in December 1939. The backs show a picture of HMS Victory, Nelson's flagship from the battle of Trafalgar.

Rex Pitts has written some notes about the characters depicted on the cards. Download here

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By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)

Member since January 30, 2009

Rex'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.


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