The World of Playing Cards Logo

The English Playing Card Society

EPCS Logo

Promoting research into English card history since 1984. Members receive the EPCS magazine three times a year.

Join from £10/year

The Beatles playing cards

Published March 24, 2024 Updated March 24, 2024

Two packs featuring photos of The Beatles issued by the same publisher in 2004 and 2005.

2004 United KingdomMusicPop CultureHaime & ButlerWorldwide CoThe Beatles

Pack 1

54 different photographs of the Fab Four (John, Paul, George, and Ringo), with almost one third in colour and the rest in black and white. The back shows a photo of the members of the group above a piece of red and orange (gold?) material.

The Beatles playing cards published by Worldwide Co., London, UK, 2004 The Beatles playing cards published by Worldwide Co., London, UK, 2004
The Beatles playing cards published by Worldwide Co., London, UK, 2004

Above: The Beatles playing cards designed by Haime & Butler. Published by Worldwide Co., London, UK, 2004. Printed in Taiwan. 52 cards + 2 Jokers in tuck box. Size: 63 x 88 mm. © Photos: Retna. © Design/text: Nicky Bird Design.

Pack 2

54 different photographs of the Fab Four, with about a dozen in colour and the rest in black and white. Eight of the photos are repeated from Pack 1, but only two are on the same card as in Pack 1 (AS, 5S). One of the Jokers shows John Lennon with Harold Wilson. Backs: horizontal format with only the heads of the four members of the group.

The Beatles playing cards published by Worldwide Co., London, UK, 2005 The Beatles playing cards published by Worldwide Co., London, UK, 2005
The Beatles playing cards published by Worldwide Co., London, UK, 2005

Above: The Beatles playing cards published by Worldwide Co., London, UK, 2005. 52 cards + 2 Jokers in tuck box. Printed in Taiwan. Size: 63 x 88 mm. Photographs: © Getty Images except AS, KH, 9H, 7D, 6C, 5S, 3S, 2S © Retna. Design © Nicky Bird Design, 2005

See the boxes

avatar
657 Articles

By Roddy Somerville

France • Member since May 31, 2022

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.

Activity for The Beatles playing cards

Sign in to comment or save this article.


Related Articles

Ampelmann Poker

Ampelmann Poker

Berlin’s little traffic light man, Ampelmännchen, dressed up ready for card play.

1730 Songs with Flute accompaniment

Songs with Flute accompaniment

Eighteenth century English engraved cards with music for voice and flute.

1978 Doctor Who Trump Card Game

Doctor Who Trump Card Game

Game for two players in which Doctor Who and the Legendary Legion join battle with the Alien Hordes....

1990 Leadmill playing cards

Leadmill playing cards

Promotional pack for an arts centre in Sheffield with designs by Martin F. Bedford.

1904 So-Lah – A Game of Music

So-Lah – A Game of Music

An early 20th century domino-type musical card game by Goodall.

2021 Les Tontons du Rock

Les Tontons du Rock

Caricatures of rock and pop stars in black and white by Charles Da Costa.

2005 Rock & Pop Legends

Rock & Pop Legends

Stunning photos of a selection of US and UK music artists.

2004 The Beatles • Yellow Submarine

The Beatles • Yellow Submarine

A colourful deck celebrating the 1968 animated feature film based on the Lennon/McCartney song of th...

1965 Jeu des Copains

Jeu des Copains

French popular singing stars of the 1960s.

2011 The Broons and Oor Wullie playing cards

The Broons and Oor Wullie playing cards

Characters from The Broons and Oor Wullie comic strips on their 75th anniversary.

1987 Dandy Rock’n Bubble

Dandy Rock’n Bubble

56 rock and pop stars of the 1980s, issued in Denmark with bubble gum.

1990 New Musical Express

New Musical Express

54 black and white photographs of solo singers, duos and groups popular around 1990.

1999 Smash Hits playing cards

Smash Hits playing cards

Pack of playing cards with pop stars offered free with the Smash Hits magazine.

2021 Soroptimist International Scotland South Region

Soroptimist International Scotland South Region

Celebrating 100 years of Soroptimist International, 1921-2021.

2005 Stainless steel playing cards

Stainless steel playing cards

Out-of-the-ordinary set in an unusual container.

2001 South Park Playing Cards

South Park Playing Cards

South Park characters and famous one-liners, by Carta Mundi for Hasbro Int. Inc., 2001.

1911 The Jovial Cards

The Jovial Cards

Publicity items for a group of entertainers, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, UK, 1911.

1967 My Fair Lady

My Fair Lady

Theatre programme in the form of a pack of cards. East Germany, c.1967.

2002 Highland Hospice

Highland Hospice

54 different personalities from the city of Inverness published by the Highland Hospice.

2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme covers from 1956 to 2016 published by Winning Moves UK Ltd.


Sign in with Google