Cía General de Fósforos Montevideana
The design of these Spanish-suited cards is the same Spanish Catalan style as used by their sister company in Argentina, Cía General de Fósforos, S.A.
Cía General de Fósforos Montevideana S.A.
Founded 1893
Above & Left: 4 cards from 'Victoria' playing cards manufactured in Uruguay by Compañía General de Fósforos Montevideana, c.1955. The company monogram is visible on the lower half of the ace of hearts, whilst the 0.25 cents tax stamp can be seen in the upper half of the same card. A gaucho themed pack was also produced with this brand name.
Below & Right: 3 cards and the reverse from a 40-card Spanish-suited pack manufactured by Compañía General de Fósforos Montevideana for Supermercados CHIP, c.1979. The company logo, visible on the four of cups, has changed to a flame.
Compañia General de Fósforos Montevideana also produced Naipes 'ANCLA' with the same designs. The company's playing card production was succeeded in the late 1980s by Ingrapa S.A. The design of these Spanish-suited cards is the same Spanish Catalan style as used by their sister company in Argentina, Cía General de Fósforos, S.A.
By Simon Wintle
Spain • Member since February 01, 1996 • Contact
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.
Related Articles
Naipes Victoria
Victoria playing cards manufactured in Uruguay by Compañía General de Fósforos Montevideana, c.1955....
Chocolondo by Famosa
Chocolondo Waffle deck for Famosa.
Pilsen Trucofest
Pilsen Trucofest playing cards, Uruguay.
Uruguayan Playing Cards
Until the 19th century playing cards were imported into Uruguay from Spain.
Naipes ‘Ancla’
Naipes opacos ‘Ancla’ manufactured by Cía General de Fósforos Montevideana S.A. c.1980.
Naipes ‘Tito’, Camilloni Hnos
Naipes ‘Tito’, Camilloni Hnos, Montevideo, c.1950.
Naipes ‘El Gaucho’ by Cervantes S.A., Montevideo, c.1970s
Naipes ‘El Gaucho’ manufactured and distributed by Cervantes S.A., Montevideo, c.1970s.
Argenar, Buenos Aires, c.1980
The reverse has advertising for Cymaco motor spares who have branches in Uruguay.
Uruguay playing card tax
In 1806 the Council of Concepción del Uruguay imposed an 8 Peso tax on card and billiard tables on a...
Naipes Tatú
Naipes Tatú, M.C. de Casabó S.A., Montevideo, c.1956
Naipes “El Gaucho”, c.1955-60
Naipes “El Gaucho” Manufactured by Gráficos Unidos S.A., Montevideo, c.1955-60
Naipes 210 made by Industria Gráfica Papelera S.A.
Naipes '210' playing cards made in Uruguay by Industria Gráfica Papelera S.A. (Ingrapa), c.1990.
Naipes Victoria Gaucho-themed pack, c.1975
Naipes Victoria Spanish-suited, gaucho-themed pack celebrates the culture and traditions of the gauc...
Naipes ‘El Gaucho’
Naipes ‘El Gaucho’ manufactured and distributed by Caraven S.A., Montevideo, Uruguay, c.1990s.
Naipes ‘American’
Naipes ‘American’ by M.C. de CASABÓ Ltda, Montevideo, c.1950.
Naipes ‘Bambú’
Naipes ‘Bambú’ manufactured by M.C. de Casabó Ltda, Montevideo, c.1950
The Monkey
‘The Monkey’ poker playing cards manufactured by M.C. de Casabó Ltda, Uruguay, c.1950.
Children’s miniature football player cards, Montevideo, c.1928
Miniature children’s playing cards with photographs of football players on the reverse.
Spanish playing cards for Yerba Armiño
Spanish-suited playing cards for Yerba Armiño, anonymous manufacturer probably made in China.
Popular heroes and celebrities
Miniature children's playing cards depicting popular heroes and celebrities on the backs, Montevideo...
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 60 days