Welcome! In the galleries, you'll find examples of cards from around 1680 to 1900.
ENGLISH MAKERS
Plain Aces and Hand-Stamped Aces |
Examples of very Early Standard English Playing Cards, before 1765. |
Garter Ace Cards to 1801 |
Cards from 1765-1801, Early standard cards with full-length court figures. Makers named on the duty ace of spades, which also roughly dates the cards. |
| Garter Ace Cards 1801 - 1828 - referred to here as Series 'B' |
Cards from 1801-1828, Early standard cards with full-length court figures. Makers named on the duty ace of spades, which also roughly dates the cards. |
| 'Old Frizzle' Aces - referred to here as Series 'F' |
Cards from 1828-1862 'Old Frizzle' Aces. This period sees changes in the cards - principally the adoption of double-ended court cards. |
| Makers' Aces
- referred to here as Series 'M' |
From 1862 card makers prepared their own aces. In this period indices were added - including some interesting early experiments - and corners became rounded. By 1900 the cards are indistinguishable from those we use today. |
NORTH AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN MAKERS
- international cards collectively referred to here as series 'I'
| USA by MAKER | US Makers |
| USA by DATE | US Makers |
| European Makers | A small set of early English standards by European makers |
All images may be used for personal or not-for-profit use without constraint.
The images may also be used, with an acknowledgement, in private publications.
(c) Paul Bostock 2008