The Heart Deck™
Useful information about heart health on every card.
Learning while playing cards is nothing new: as long ago as the 17th century, Cardinal Mazarin was devising card games for the young Louis XIV so that he might learn about history and mythology while playing. In this set the subject matter is heart health, with different cards giving advice about stroke, heart failure, women, nutrition, exercise, smoking, obesity, cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, peripheral artery disease and coronary artery disease. The Jokers are marked “HD”, standing for “Heart Deck”.
The pack was promoted by The Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, their mission being to improve the health of racial and ethnic minority populations.
Above: The Heart Deck™ published by HealthTank, LLC, Virginia, U.S.A., 2011. Printer unknown. 52 cards + 2 Jokers (marked “HD”) + 2 extra cards in tuck box. Size: 64 x 89 mm.
According to one of the extra cards , the publisher (HealthTank) issued 14 other packs on health-related subjects.
Note: a copyright date of 2010 appears on one of the extra cards while a copyright date of 2011 can be found on the tuck box
The website of HealthTank (the publishers of this pack) was not available.
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.
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