Places

This is a standard bridge sized deck of playing cards from Maryland. The cards read “Deal me out… I’m Crabby!” with an angry caricature of a crab. He definitely doesn’t want to be a part of your crab cake. These are typical souvenir shop style cards you would pick up in a tourist shop, made in China, still sealed in shrink wrap. Date unknown, but there appears to have been other souvenir offerings featuring this crab and theme, such as coffee mugs (Claws Off My Coffee!”

Front of deck

Back of deck

This is a standard bridge sized deck of playing cards featuring New York New York printed atop a gold image of the city skyline which includes the twin towers. These are typical souvenir shop style cards, still sealed in shrink wrap. When the cards were printed is unknown, though it seems unlikely that they were printed post 9/11.

Front of deck

Back of deck

This is a deck of souvenir playing cards from the town of Bar Harbor, Maine. The card back shows a collage of images of the harbor town from different angles and times of day. This is a standard poker sized deck and is sealed in the original plastic and tuck case.

Front of box and card back design

Back of box

Front of deck

Ukiyo-e is Japanese art of woodblock printing which was popular from the 17th through the 19th centuries. This deck of playing cards is marked Angel Ukiyoe Playing cards, UK-1000, made in Japan. It is a poker sized, 56 card deck; 52 standard cards, two jokers, and two extra unsuited cards. Each card has a full-color artwork reprinted from famous ukiyo-e prints, with the artist’s name. Each card is different and the deck is packaged in a yellow-gold plastic box inserted into the original cardboard retail box. The cards are unused and cards, and packaging, are in excellent condition.  Read more »

Front of deck

Les Grande Rois de France (The Great Kings of France) features reproductions of royal paintings of royalty on the face cards. Face cards are marked with the French markings, so the suits are trèfles (clubs♣), carreaux (diamonds⋄), cœurs (hearts♥), and piques (spades♠), The ace is the 1 card, and the face cards are the valet (jack), the dame (queen), and the roi (king). They are printed by Editions Dusserre in Saint-Max. Image below is the only image I could find showing some of the face cards, as this deck is sealed. Some cards may be different as the image shown was by a deck printed by Editions Dusserre location in Paris, and therefore, may be a different edition.  Read more »