History of the War playing cards

Published July 03, 1996 Updated March 08, 2025

“History of the War” playing cards with caricatures of Winston Churchill, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and Benito Mussolini, designed by Lino Palacio.

2002 Argentina USA 353 Playing Card Corp Lino Palacio Caricatures Wartime

In 1940 a Buenos Aires newspaper commissioned Lino Palacio to offer his personal version of events of World War II. This resulted in 800 drawings distributed in four volumes under the pseudonym 'flax'. These playing cards feature the best of the first 200 cartoons published in 1942. Each of the four suits represents a different actor in the war: clubs Sir Winston Churchill, spades Adolf Hitler, hearts Joseph Stalin & diamonds Benito Mussolini, plus 2 Jokers depicting Franklin Roosevelt and Adolf Hitler.

ace of spades History of the War
back History of the War

"History of the War" playing cards designed by the Argentinean cartoonist Lino Palacio (1903-1984), printed in Hong Kong and published in 2002 by The 353 Playing Card Corp. of Miami, FL, USA. 52 cards + 2 jokers in sturdy tuck-box, shrink wrapped. Limited edition of 5000 decks.

Lino Palacio was the creator of unforgettable characters like Ramona, Don Fulgencio, Doña Tremebunda, Agapito and his shadow, Cicuta and many others.

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By Simon Wintle

Member since February 01, 1996

Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.

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