Since 1996, this collaborative project has grown into an independent archive of 4,901 articles, written by collectors, researchers, artists and historians from around the world, documenting playing cards from early handmade cards to industrial production, and from games of chance and skill to education, advertising, political satire, magic and fortune-telling.
The archive looks beyond the basics, revealing the wider history behind playing cards. It explores how cards were designed, printed and traded, how they were regulated, and what their imagery was intended to convey. All content is edited with care and supported by sources, images and dates to support reliable research
Latest Articles
Les Quatre Saisons
A lyrical cycle of the seasons woven into the language of playing cards.
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by Lev Golinkin
Le jeu de cartes des Croisades
Venture into the Crusades in the style of medieval manuscript art.
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by Lev Golinkin
Latest Activity
Feb 2026 Newsletter Members access
This issue features articles on De La Rue Pack c.1835, Mistakes in Standard English Packs, and An Unusual Happy Families...
Le jeu de cartes des Croisades
Venture into the Crusades in the style of medieval manuscript art.
2 days ago • Lev Golinkin
Marty Jacobs commented on United Kingdom
You're very welcome, Simon. I love WOPC, so I'm happy to hel...
2 days ago
Danny Spiller commented on Bicycle No.808 - page 2
Thrilled to read the informative history on Bicycle cards. D...
3 days ago
Modern F.X. Schmid Bavarian Cards
From Plastic to Premium: The legendary F.X. Schmid Tarock & Schafkopf deck, reboxed, refreshed and rebranded.
3 days ago • Konrad Hämmerle
Mariáš - Black & Red Edition
A modern special edition of Prager pattern cards.
3 days ago • Marek Brejcha
Simon Wintle commented on United Kingdom
Thanks, Marty, for your helpful comment. Much appreciated an...
3 days ago
Marty Jacobs commented on United Kingdom
Thanks for such a detailed article, Simon. Here's a small co...
3 days ago
Birb playing cards
Birds are not merely illustrated on the cards but become the court cards themselves.
3 days ago • Lev Golinkin
Jungle Playing Cards
Welcome to the jungle – a delightful deck from South Africa.
4 days ago • Lev Golinkin
Ute Mountain Casino Hotel & Resort
Casino playing cards featuring Native American courts.
5 days ago • Lev Golinkin
Arrowhead Playing Cards from San Felipe’s Casino Hollywood
A gorgeous and well-researched celebration of Native American culture.
6 days ago • Lev Golinkin
Les Grands Navigateurs
Jean Delpech's modernist voyage through the history of Maritime Exploration.
6 days ago • Lev Golinkin
Les Chevaliers de la Table Ronde
A pictorial study by Jean Bruneau inspired by an ancient work rooted in Celtic history.
6 days ago • Lev Golinkin
Meskwaki Casino
A deck reflecting Native American culture where every hand could be a jackpot.
May 30, 2026 • Lev Golinkin
Robin Hood Playing Cards
A Kings Wild Project by Jackson Robinson exploring the legend of Robin Hood and inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry.
May 30, 2026 • Lev Golinkin
Fagoaga y Compañía (Casa Bertrand Domec), Buenos Aires, c.1970
Playing Cards Imported into Argentina by Fagoaga y Compañía (Casa Bertrand Domec), Buenos Aires, c.1970
By Simon Wintle
Tarot de Valverde de la Vera
A series of 24 surrealist engravings by Mexican artist Claudio Favier in which archetypal Tarot allegories are re-imagin...
By Simon Wintle
Naipes Cristianos
“Naipes Cristianos” catechetical playing cards with quotations from the four gospels, 2002.
By Simon Wintle
P. Steinmann
Single-figure provincial Paris pattern cards with traditional names on the courts manufactured in Copenhagen by P. Stein...
By Simon Wintle
Gibson & Co., c.1770
Standard English playing cards manufactured by Gibson & Co., c.1770.
By Simon Wintle
Naipes Barcelonesa by Vigor S.R.L., Bs As, 1960
Naipes Barcelonesa Spanish-suited playing cards manufactured by Vigor S.R.L., Buenos Aires, 1960.
By Simon Wintle
About Karl Gerich (1956-2016)
About Karl Alexander Gerich, 23rd April 1956 — 4th January 2016
By Simon Wintle
F. X. Schmid (Argentina) S.A.
Spanish-suited playing cards by F. X. Schmid (Argentina) S.A.
By Simon Wintle
Explore
4,901 articles featuring content from 120 countries and 384 themes; including 1,416 manufacturers, 1,180 designers, 268 brands, 26 suits, 53 patterns, 61 games and 33 licenses.
Karl Gerich
Karl Gerich No.12
Karl Gerich's 12th deck is titled “Rheinland Playing Cards” and was published in 1991. lt is derived...
By Simon Wintle
Patience No.21
‘Patience No.21’ is a 52-card miniature deck with double-ended courts and a Joker holding a fan of c...
By Simon Wintle
Karl Gerich No.22: “Rouennais”
Karl Gerich’s hand-made design No.22: “Rouennais”, Victoria P.C.C, Bath (UK), 1990.
By Barney Townshend
No.10 - Four Corners
Karl Gerich was a great admirer of playing cards produced by B. Dondorf and his tenth pack was inspi...
By Barney Townshend
Karl Gerich No.26
Variations on the standard English pattern are one of Karl's favourite themes. He produced several v...
By Barney Townshend
MPC (makeplayingcards.com)
Moon Baby Tarot
Moon Baby Tarot is a recoloured and reformatted edition of the 1972 Hoi Polloi Tarot, ...
By Adam Wintle
Fried Chicken Playing Cards
This innovative chicken-themed concept combines playing cards with the aroma of fried chicken.
By Adam Wintle
Alien Arcana Tarot
A series of three tarot decks inspired by the Alien film franchise, created by Roy Huteson St...
By Adam Wintle
Eclipse Comic playing cards (reproduction)
Eclipse Comic playing cards is a reproduction of the first transformation pack printed in the USA in...
By Peter Burnett
The Tarot Strikes Back
Roy Huteson Stewart's The Tarot Strikes Back combines Star Wars with Rider-Waite tarot imagery.
By Adam Wintle
Malaysia Airlines
Malaysian-made deck of cards produced for Malaysian Airline Systems (MAS).
By Matt Probert
De la Rue’s 125th anniversary
In around 1955 De la Rue introduced a new coloured joker and a series of aces of spades with a silho...
By Simon Wintle
Sands & McDougall Aces & Jokers
Sands & McDougall produced many beautiful Spade Aces and Jokers.
By Jan Walls
Why our playing-cards look the way they do
Analysis of early playing card designs: origins, suit differences, standardization, technological ad...
By Paul Bostock
Scooby-Doo! playing cards for Hellmann’s Magic
Miniature Spanish-suited playing cards featuring Scooby-Doo! made specially for Hellmann’s.
By Simon Wintle
Naipes ‘Bambú’
Naipes ‘Bambú’ manufactured by M.C. de Casabó Ltda, Montevideo, c.1950
By Simon Wintle
Argenar, Buenos Aires, c.1980
The reverse has advertising for Cymaco motor spares who have branches in Uruguay.
By Simon Wintle
Copa de Oro 1980
Naipes “Copa de Oro 1980” manufactured by Compañía General de Fósforos Montevideana, 1980.
By Simon Wintle
Playing Card Backs
Torras y Lleó, Barcelona, Spain, c.1838-1921
Francisco Torras y Lleó was a playing-card maker in calle Carmen, Barcelona, who flourished during t...
By Simon Wintle
Three Rare Playing Card Back Designs
The Norwood 85 (USPC, c.1909): a very scarce American deck with two fine art back designs, apparentl...
By Rod Starling (1936-2023)
Argentina Card Backs
By Simon Wintle
Waddington Back Designs
Waddington back designs found in John Berry's Archive volume, spanning from the 1920s to the 1940s.
By Ken Lodge
Cartamundi (formerly Carta Mundi)
Never Mind the Belote
Limited edition Belote pack with designs by a collective of 24 street artists.
By Roddy Somerville
Stationskwartetspel
Railway Stations quartet game illustrated by Wim Dolk and published by Servex BV, Utrecht, 1975.
By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)
Commedia dell’Carte
Commedia dell’Carte political transformation cards illustrated by Stef van Stiphout, Belgium, 1977. ...
By Peter Burnett
Scouting playing cards
Cartoon-style illustrations promoting a Belgian organisation for scouts and guides.
By Roddy Somerville
The English Playing Card Society
Founded in 1984, the English Playing Card Society (EPCS) promotes research into the history and development of English playing cards and card games, and supports the exchange of information and ideas between collectors, researchers, archivists, designers, manufacturers and dealers.
The Society publishes the EPCS Newsletter three times a year and maintains an online archive of back issues.
The Big Picture
Playing cards have a universal appeal and are a reflection of human culture.
Above: Chinese money-suited cards. Some of the earliest cards have origins in the Far East.
Playing cards have a long history and cultural significance, forming a part of almost every society around the world. The origins of playing cards can be traced back centuries, and today they remain a universal symbol of creativity, entertainment, and human connection. These small, rectangular pieces of paper have been a source of fun for generations and are still enjoyed in countless ways—whether in a simple game of solitaire, a high-stakes poker match, or the tarot cards used for fortune-telling. There is something about the history and design of playing cards that captures the imagination and inspires creativity. As Delef Hoffmann once said, “whether we consider cards as mere merchandise or as the bond which unites people with one another, just think of what we would be if we had no cards! How boring and unsociable our lives would be without this invention!”
Above: Dasavatara Ganjifa from India. Playing cards from India are often circular.
The origin of cards can be traced back to China, where they were first used as early as the 9th century. From there, the cards travelled across Asia and the Middle East, and finally found their way to Europe in the 14th century.
Since then, playing cards have been used for a wide range of purposes, including fortune-telling and even propaganda. But the most significant impact they have had on humanity is through their use in games, which have brought people together for centuries.
Above left: a set of Spanish playing cards from 1638 was discovered inside a prison wall during demolition, likely used for gambling by prisoners. Above center: Trump Presidential playing cards, playing cards are often used for political messages. Above right: the Magician from the popualr Rider-Waite tarot, which has become the template for modern tarot decks.
While playing cards have brought people together for fun and play, they have also been a source of disruption in the form of gambling. For many, gambling has become an addiction, leading to financial ruin and even anti-social problems.
The artistic value of cards cannot be overlooked, with their intricate details and unique designs of each card reflecting the creativity and ingenuity of artists. Playing cards are a reflection of our society, with each country and region having its unique designs and styles. As Sylvia Mann put it "there are fashions in cards, and these fashions very often reflect the history of the times". From the bold and colourful designs of India to the intricate and detailed patterns of Russia, playing cards are a testament to the creativity and diversity of the human experience.
Above left: Kashmir Playing Cards, above center: Ethiopian Air Lines playing cards produced by Nintendo, above right: striking playing cards designed by Masuo Ikeda.
Playing cards have a wide embrace, spanning across cultures and countries, with a scope of diverse subjects that reflect the values and beliefs of their respective societies.
Playing cards are an enduring symbol of human connection and creativity, transcending language, borders and cultures. Through the power of games, they have brought people together for centuries, creating shared experiences that have fostered friendships, learning and social bonds. While their role in gambling has been disruptive, their stunning artistic designs elevate them to works of art, worthy of appreciation and admiration. Playing cards are a testament to the power of human creativity and a reflection of the rich cultural tapestry of our world.
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