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Pneumatic Series ‘F’

Published September 02, 2015 Updated August 03, 2022

De la Rue Pneumatic Series ‘F’ playing cards, c.1925.

1925 United Kingdom De la Rue Pneumatic Shipping

Two alternative versions of De la Rue & Co’s Pneumatic Series ‘F’ playing cards with colourful back designs for P&O British India Lines, c.1925. The “Pneumatic” brand was first produced in c.1890 as a means to facilitate shuffling and dealing by preventing cards from adhering to one another. The word “Licensees” on the boxes refers to De la Rue's license to manufacture playing cards and promise to pay the duty which is specified on the Ace of Spades.

De la Rue Pneumatic Series ‘F’ playing cards, c.1925
De la Rue Pneumatic Series ‘F’ playing cards, c.1925 De la Rue Pneumatic Series ‘F’ playing cards, c.1925

Above: De la Rue Pneumatic Series ‘F’ playing cards with three alternative back designs for P&O British India Lines, c.1925.

Standard English courts 1922-1927

Above: the court cards are De la Rue’s standard English pattern from c.1922-1927 using seriffed indices. All images courtesy Matt Probert.

Thomas De La Rue Pneumatic with advertising for Fyffes Line, c.1930

Above: Thomas De La Rue Pneumatic deck with advertising for Fyffes Line, with De la Rue ace and joker but with Goodall courts, c.1925-30. No series code on the hard telescopic box. Courtesy Matt Probert.


REFERENCES

Lodge, Ken: The Standard English Pattern (second revised and enlarged edition), Bungay, Suffolk, 2010

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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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