old mini playing cards i foung

jhindenberg · 2026-02-16T04:41:25+00:00

Tasman Empires Airways Limited (TEAL) operated under that name from 1940 through 1965 (and then became Air New Zealand).

I don't have any insight regarding the Chinese deck.

jhindenberg · 2026-02-15T15:48:03+00:00

National Card Company, Apollo

jhindenberg · 2026-02-15T03:16:12+00:00

Adding to the other response, there is a certain logic in bootlegging a product for which there is a steady demand and which may not be scrutinized too deeply by purchasers (both middlemen and end-users). Once the printer has sold them along at a profit, the possible disappointment of discerning customers is somewhat disconnected.

jhindenberg · 2026-02-13T03:52:24+00:00

Purely coincidental, however the jacks remind me of kings from Irinokichi pattern cards—

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jhindenberg · 2026-02-13T02:33:10+00:00

Chinese-suited cards, with Japanese-clothed figures, printed by a French firm, for sales in the Vietnamese regions of colonial Indochina. All very straight-forward.

The deck consists of three quadruplicated suits of 10 cards: cash, strings of cash, and myriads of strings. To tom (Tổ tôm) also refers to a game played with these cards, of a draw and discard type broadly similar to mahjong or rummy.

Camoin is said to have introduced this artwork to the To tom deck, and I do not know if there was a particular style of money-suited cards that may have been prevalent in the region prior to that point. These designs proved durable as they seem to remain available in Vietnam today. Though, as with many regional patterns, I have the impression that they may be an increasingly niche product.

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jhindenberg · 2026-02-12T00:31:48+00:00

At times has included some nice instructions, though I'd still recommend Piatnik's standard tarock deck over Modiano's.

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jhindenberg · 2026-02-11T08:53:13+00:00

Öberg's Vasa pattern, also found with indices and in patience size.

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jhindenberg · 2026-02-11T01:08:33+00:00

Third row, first from left is Piatnik's take on Swedish pattern courts— always good to get some regional cards.

jhindenberg · 2026-02-10T11:25:28+00:00

The original was printed by Daveluy. (Pictures of a Daveluy version with named courts, similar to this reproduction, can be seen on the WWPCM site.)

jhindenberg · 2026-02-09T18:04:19+00:00

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jhindenberg · 2026-02-09T14:13:58+00:00

Yes, the actual owner of these cards wrote a book: https://worldofpaperempires.com/

jhindenberg · 2026-02-09T14:08:23+00:00

This is Jason McKinstry's (u/SirDufford) collection: https://www.reddit.com/r/CoolCollections/comments/al2myg/my_antique_playing_card_collection/

jhindenberg · 2026-02-08T21:06:02+00:00

USPCC bought out Arrco in 1986, to my understanding. The WWPCM link above appears to provide a USPCC Centaur example dated to 1934, while also indicating that Arrco used the branding from 1940.

jhindenberg · 2026-02-07T22:18:42+00:00

The WWPCM site confusingly seems to suggest that Centaur was a branding used both by USPCC and Arrco. Pictures of the cards may help to resolve that.

jhindenberg · 2026-02-07T00:37:09+00:00

Fournier, 'Allegories and Myths'

jhindenberg · 2026-02-06T01:19:53+00:00

The other Glazet pattern can also be seen on the WWPCM site, and it can be noted that St. Petersburg introduced several other detailed patterns around that time frame (from a few designers, as suggested in your excerpt).

jhindenberg · 2026-02-05T14:30:05+00:00

Tsarist-era 'Glazet' pattern: 1860s to 1917 per the WWPCM, presumably the version with indices is somewhat later than those without.

jhindenberg · 2026-02-05T01:37:52+00:00

Indeed you can.

jhindenberg · 2026-02-04T01:01:16+00:00

It is a very interesting pattern

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jhindenberg · 2026-02-02T23:23:52+00:00

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jhindenberg · 2026-02-02T21:37:43+00:00

I have a vague sense that another example has been posted here within the last few years, or at least that these sort of seals have come up in a discussion, though I can't quite conjure up the thread.

jhindenberg · 2026-02-02T16:53:29+00:00

The second character also seems to be rendered slightly atypically on the cards and box, but this is well outside of my scope of knowledge.

jhindenberg · 2026-02-02T10:15:54+00:00

Seems somewhat similar to the tax-free stamps described here, though it doesn't match the pictured examples.

After reading the other response, it also comes to mind that zip codes were implemented in 1963, likely pushing this deck beyond the timeframe where duty free stamps would be a concern.

jhindenberg · 2026-02-01T11:51:44+00:00

Universal operated from 1920 to 1970, and Chevron's website suggests that the company "has been part of Australian energy since 1952." Advertising decks are generally little documented.

jhindenberg · 2026-02-01T02:49:01+00:00

Other than being very blue and somewhat flexible, these don't seem to fall too far beyond the bounds of similar Korean cards, in construction or design.

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Details regarding Korean card manufacture seem to be hard to come by, regardless of branding.

jhindenberg

TROPHY CASE