The card types and dates are detailed and illustrated in M H Goodall,
Minor British Playing Card Makers of the Nineteenth Century.
Volume II: Woolley & Company, 1996.
The book contains substantial further information...
For a description of terms, see notes at the bottom of the table
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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!
