Stancraft “Split Deck”
Stancraft “Split Deck”, 1979.
Stancraft Products “Split Deck”, 1979. Each card is divided diagonally with different values at each end of 48 of the cards and the same value on the four twos. The idea is that many new games can be played when players can choose which zone (colour end) to play with. Earlier versions of the deck were published in 1935 and then again in 1950 by Brown & Bigelow / Stancraft called “Double Action” cards.


Above: Stancraft Products “Split Deck”, 1979. Decks are bridge size and usually come in double boxed sets with a booklet explaining how to play games with the cards. Images courtesy Jean Szawiola.
Note from Roddy Somerville
I have always known this as the "Janus" deck. It is described in the booklet as a "twin value deck". Herb Hancock of Dundas, Ontario, Canada, is credited with its invention. The booklet (which is in English and French) gives the makers (?) / publishers (?) as "Hoyle Playing Card Co.", a "Division of Ben Sanders Co. Ltd., Willowdale, Ontario, M2H 3G2". Was that a tax dodge? I can't find a date in the booklet but I do know that I was offering these cards and the booklet in my 1982 sales list. In the packs I have, the Aces of Spades have the same wording as on the one you show, i.e., "Stancraft Products, St. Paul, MINN, U.S.A., a Division of Brown & Bigelow Inc." but with no mention of Hoyle or Ben Sanders. All rather confusing!

Above:

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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