James English

Card Types

The card types and dates are detailed and illustrated in M H Goodall,
Minor British Playing Card Makers of the Nineteenth Century.
Volume IV: James English and Company, 1998.

The book contains substantial further information and includes the Peerless Card Company...

For a description of terms, see notes at the bottom of the table

 

Maker Type Dates Corners Courts Turned Indices plainbacks Notes
J English E1 1865-1875 Square Double Turned - M37 -
J English E1a 1875-1880 Square Double Turned inside frame M1

Note narrow heart signs
J English E1b 1875-1880 Square Double Turned inside frame M23 Hearts back to normal
J English E1c 1875-1880 Round Double Turned inside frame - Red/Black print
J English E2 1880-1890 Round Double Turned small at corners - New design, small index
J English E2a 1880-1890 Round Double Turned standard - - similar, standard index
J English E2b 1880-1890 Round Double Turned tall, thin - - similar, taller index font
J English E3 1885-1901 Square Double Turned - - No index
J English E3a 1885-1901 Square Double Turned - - Patience size, red/ black
J English ENS1 c1870 Square Double Turned Larger Index - A more continental style

Aces of Spades:

1 James English - foliage and starburst above. 1865-67

1.1 James English - plainer version. 1867-70

2 James English Manufacturer, Budge Row 1870-73

2.1 James English & Co Manfacturers, Budge Row 1873-85

2.2 With small indices 1880-85

 

Corners Square or Round:

Rounded corners were introduced to help prevent wear, most makers adopted these from circa 1875

Courts:

Full are traditional figures with legs see P1
DE = double ended, eg M50 (Unturned) M15 (turned left)
DE4h=Double ended with "four hands"! (see KS, KH, KD on M2)

Turned:

blank = unturned, T=Turned, TR=Turned right

In the traditional full-length pattern six pips are placed left (the four kings, JS, QH) and six right.
It became convenient to "turn" 6 courts so all 12 pips are left (or occasionally all 12 are on the right.)
These "turned" courts pre-date the use of indices and serve a similar but more basic purpose.
For Examples see M50 (Unturned) M15 (Turned: Pips all on left)

Indices:

blank=none, A or 1 means with index and "A" or "1" shows ace format

Corner indices conveniently convey the cards to a player without widely fanning the hand.
When indices came in, various experiments were tried.
See these examples...

Index Inside Frame M23
'Eureka', 'Index Pips' or 'Dexter' - indices in suit signs see M40
Triplicates - full cards reproduced in corners! M14 and an earlier US set I8
Modern indices - these Goodall cards M9 from c. 1900 start to seem familiar!