Wild Flower Sevens
Wild Flower Sevens card game by Pepys Games (Castell Bros Ltd), c.1960.
“Wild Flower Sevens” card game
Every card pictures a different Wild Flower...
Wild flowers have appeared as suit symbols on playing cards as far back as the fifteenth century. Flowers also appear on fortune-telling or oracle cards where the flowers suggest virtues or human qualities. In this children's card game published by Castell Brothers Ltd c.1960 each card shows in full colour a different specimen of Britain's beautiful wild flowers which can also be used to identify the flowers found outside.
Each card pictures a different wild flower and the pack is made up of 4 suits of 11 cards each. The suits are recognised by the shapes enclosing the numbers in the top left-hand corner of the cards and are Circle, Square, Diamond and Triangle. The cards of each suit are numbered 2 to 12, there being none numbered 1.
Above: Wild Flower Sevens card game by Pepys Games (Castell Bros Ltd) c.1960. The place where each flower is commonly found is printed at the bottom of every card.
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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