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Portuguese Type Cards made in Belgium

Published July 03, 1996 Updated June 17, 2023

Portuguese Type Playing Cards made in Belgium, c.1878.

1878 Belgium Portugal Biermans Portugaises History Patterns and Suit Types Portuguese Pattern

Later Portuguese Type - made in Belgium for export to Brazil

Ace of swords King of swords 8 of swords Cavalier of clubs Cavalier of coins
2 of coins Cavalier of swords 6 of cups with royal crown Maid of cups King of cups
Maid of coins with small chest 4 of coins 2 of clubs Maid of clubs Ace of clubs

Above: 15 cards from later Portuguese type pack with 'dragon' aces, made in Belgium by Léonard Biermans, Turnhout, c.1878. There is a Brazilian Real Fabrica insignia on the wrapper. 48 cards, size: 81 x 59 mm; lithographed. The dog has disappeared from the Maid of clubs but the Maid of coins holds a small chest as in earlier types. Click here to see more.


Cartas Portuguezas N°2

Portuguezas N°2, Léonard Biermans, 1878, National Playing Card Museum, Turnhout

Above: Portuguezas N°2, Léonard Biermans, 1878, National Playing Card Museum, Turnhout.

modern reprint of the obsolete Portuguese pattern, National Playing Card Museum, Turnhout

Above: modern partly-coloured reprint of the obsolete Portuguese pattern, courtesy the National Playing Card Museum, Turnhout.

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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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