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Published December 18, 2020 Updated July 21, 2022

Hamm’s Beer

Hamm’s Beer promotion deck with bear cartoons by Frank M. Antoncich 1968.

1968 USA Stancraft Frank M. Antoncich Advertising Breweries Cartoon Add to Collection

Hamm’s Beer promotion deck with superb bear cartoons on the court cards and jokers drawn by Frank M. Antoncich (1906-1994), published by Stancraft in c.1968. If you look closely, each bear is dressed for a different sport, such as ice hockey, water skiing, basketball, croquet, baseball, golf, tennis, football, bowls, archery, etc. The ace of spades has the Hamm's logo and the backs show ‘the Land of Sky Blue Waters’ with a red canoe in the foreground, suggesting relaxation and refreshment which is also mentioned on the box.

Hamm’s Beer promotion deck with bear cartoons by Frank M. Antoncich 1968 Hamm’s Beer promotion deck with bear cartoons by Frank M. Antoncich 1968

Above: Hamm’s Beer promotion deck with bear cartoons by Frank M. Antoncich 1968. 52 cards + 2 jokers in box.

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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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