Playing Cards by Compañia General de Fósforos
Playing Cards by Compañia General de Fósforos, Bs. As. (founded 1888).
Compañía General de Fósforos, S.A., Bs. As.
Founded in 1888, the group opened a printing establishment to produce match boxes. Soon after they expanded into the graphic arts business and by 1904 had established a paper mill. In 1893 a sister company was opened in Uruguay who also produced playing cards. In 1929 the firm's playing card production was taken over by Compañía General Fabril Financiera S.A. which continued its existence until 1995.
![Compañia General de Fósforos, California 1270, Buenos Aires, c.1905 Compañia General de Fósforos, California 1270, Buenos Aires, c.1905](https://www.wopc.co.uk/images/countries/argentina/fabril/general-fosforos-1.jpg)
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Above: 5 cards from an "Angelito" Spanish Catalán type pack manufactured in Buenos Aires by Compañia General de Fósforos, California 1270, Buenos Aires, c.1905. Based on designs of Sebastian Comas y Ricart of Barcelona (Spain) who had previously imported playing cards into Argentina. The black 'Mercury' tax stamp on the four of cups suggests a date around 1895-1905.
![avatar](http://www.wopc.co.uk/core/cache-wopc-thumbs/users/simonwintle/simon-4.76eb6f85.jpg)
By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.
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