Sweetule Natural History cards
Small cards featuring natural history subjects, given away with packets of sweet cigarettes.
These delightful little cards were given away – one at a time – with packets of sweet cigarettes. The unnamed subjects are birds (S), fish (H), butterflies (C), and flowers (D). The cards have square corners. This set has no jokers. The pattern on the reverse is made up of 98 small stars in 14 rows of 7.
Sweetule issued about 40 sets of trade/insert cards between 1954 and 1963. This was the only one to include playing-card symbols; most of the others came in sets of 25, 30 or 50 cards. A monogram CM (or MC) can be seen on several cards in this set, eg 7 & 10 of diamonds.
Above: Natural History cards produced by Sweetule Products Ltd (Confectionery), Radcliffe, Manchester, England, 1961. 52 cards. Size: 36 x 67 mm.
By Roddy Somerville
France • Member since May 31, 2022 • Contact
Roddy started collecting stamps on his 8th birthday. In 1977 he joined the newly formed playing-card department at Stanley Gibbons in London before setting up his own business in Edinburgh four years later. His collecting interests include playing cards, postcards, stamps (especially playing cards on stamps) and sugar wrappers. He is a Past President of the Scottish Philatelic Society, a former Chairman of the IPCS, a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards and Curator of the WCMPC’s collection of playing cards. He lives near Toulouse in France.
Related Articles
OXO Faces of the Millennium Dinner
Twentieth-century personalities promoting a millennium dinner at the Oxo Tower in London.
Kids Fun Box playing cards
Colourful cards for children with four non-standard suits connected with the natural world.
Nimbus playing cards
Mike Steer’s weather-themed pack with suits in four colours and backs for cardistry.
Traditional Cyprus Recipes
Traditional recipes from Cyprus, with a small photo of each dish.
The Famous Dinosaurs Playing Cards
54 different dinosaurs, both large and small, illustrated by Cecilia Fitzsimons.
A Gardener’s Labyrinth
Photographs of flowers, herbs and vegetables by leading photographer Tessa Traeger.
Greenpeace anti-nuclear playing cards
Greenpeace anti-nuclear pack with facts and figures, United Kingdom, 2003.
Salmon playing cards
13 colour photographs showing the life cycle of the salmon by Nintendo, Japan.
Smash Hits playing cards
Pack of playing cards with pop stars offered free with the Smash Hits magazine.
Fishing for Compliments
‘Fishing for Compliments’ playing cards created by Pixel Initiative, illustrated by Stacey Jay Kelly...
Green Cards
Recycled playing cards with striking, non-standard courts.
A Barribal variant for Christmas
Christmas gift with a difference, made by Waddington’s, Leeds, 1931.
Foragers playing cards
Playing cards to help to identify the edible and inedible gifts of nature.
Soroptimist International Scotland South Region
Celebrating 100 years of Soroptimist International, 1921-2021.
Logger-Reno
A tribute to the logging industry with suits of trees and trucks.
Stainless steel playing cards
Out-of-the-ordinary set in an unusual container.
Flying Tiger playing cards
An “eco-conscious” product with fun, modern designs from Denmark.
The Jovial Cards
Publicity items for a group of entertainers, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, UK, 1911.
Cape Wrath
Images from the Ministry of Defence Cape Wrath Training Centre, Sutherland, Scotland. Published 2010...
Gunners Greats Playing Cards
Each of the four editions of the magazine included a complete suit from the 52 card deck with every ...
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 60 days
