The World of Playing Cards Logo

Cigar Bands

Published February 26, 2020 Updated November 24, 2023

A collection of 24 cigar bands with miniature playing cards.

1960 Belgium Advertising Ephemera Tobacco

A collection of 24 TAF cigar bands with miniature playing cards, c.1960. The card size varies a little but the largest is 18x14mm. The cards have been identified by a previous owner from the inscriptions inside the bands. They are all numbered also on the inside 1 – 24 which suggests the series is complete. The TAF factory was acquired in 1979 by J. Cortès brand.

TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965 TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965 TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965 TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965 TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965 TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965 TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965 TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965 TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965 TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965 TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965 TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965 TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965 TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965 TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965 TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965 TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965 TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965 TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965 TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965 TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965 TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965 TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965 TAF cigar band with miniature playing card c.1965
avatar
775 Articles

By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)

Member since January 30, 2009

Rex's main interest was in card games, because, he said, they were cheap and easy to get hold of in his early days of collecting. He is well known for his extensive knowledge of Pepys games and his book is on the bookshelves of many.

His other interest was non-standard playing cards. He also had collections of sheet music, music CDs, models of London buses, London Transport timetables and maps and other objects that intrigued him.

Rex had a chequered career at school. He was expelled twice, on one occasion for smoking! Despite this he trained as a radio engineer and worked for the BBC in the World Service.

Later he moved into sales and worked for a firm that made all kinds of packaging, a job he enjoyed until his retirement. He became an expert on boxes and would always investigate those that held his cards. He could always recognize a box made for Pepys, which were the same as those of Alf Cooke’s Universal Playing Card Company, who printed the card games. This interest changed into an ability to make and mend boxes, which he did with great dexterity. He loved this kind of handicraft work.

His dexterity of hand and eye soon led to his making card games of his own design. He spent hours and hours carefully cutting them out and colouring them by hand.


Leave a Reply

Default Avatar
Your Name
Just now

Create account to comment Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here.


Related Articles

1990 Leadmill playing cards

Leadmill playing cards

Promotional pack for an arts centre in Sheffield with designs by Martin F. Bedford.

1985 Blake et Mortimer – La Marque Jaune

Blake et Mortimer – La Marque Jaune

Blake and Mortimer comic strip characters created by Edgar P. Jacobs.

2018 Santo Mexico playing cards

Santo Mexico playing cards

Santo Mexico playing cards designed by Cédric Volon with Mexico-associated symbols.

2016 Gallia Belgica playing cards

Gallia Belgica playing cards

Gallia Belgica playing cards by Cédric Volon presenting a view of Belgian culture and folklore.

1953 Simpson (Piccadilly) playing cards

Simpson (Piccadilly) playing cards

Innovative advertising pack for Simpsons of Piccadilly designed by André François.

1850 Historical Characters

Historical Characters

Double-ended deck with historical characters and jacks as jesters by Daveluy, c.1850.

1873 Mademoiselle Lenormand

Mademoiselle Lenormand

XIX century ‘Mlle Lenormand’ cartomancy deck by Daveluy, Bruges.

1989 Hamlet Cigars

Hamlet Cigars

Advertising deck for “Hamlet mild cigars”, a Benson & Hedges product.

1972 Smith-Corona Marchant

Smith-Corona Marchant

Simplified yet colourful court card designs by Avoine for Smith-Corona Marchant.

2000 Austria Ski Team playing cards

Austria Ski Team playing cards

Photos of members of the Austrian skiing team replace the normal courts on two different packs.

1996 Unimog UX 100

Unimog UX 100

Cartoons promoting the Unimog UX 100, a small truck produced by Mercedes-Benz.

1996 Star Trek® – The Original Series

Star Trek® – The Original Series

Promotional pack for CIC Video with characters and starships from the original series of Star Trek. ...

Printing Presses

Printing Presses

Antique printing presses from the Turnhout Playing Card Museum collection.

1994 Medizin Skat

Medizin Skat

Promotional pack for a hospital group in the Saarland, with non-standard suits and courts designed b...

2006 Naipes Kukuxumusu

Naipes Kukuxumusu

A 52-card Spanish-suited advertising pack for a clothing company in Pamplona.

1985 Atout Cœur!

Atout Cœur!

Poster designs by children for an anti-smoking campaign in the Midi-Pyrenées region of France.