Prophet Fortune Telling Cards

Published February 10, 2023 Updated February 11, 2023

Prophet Fortune Telling Cards copyright and made by Thomas de la Rue & Co., 1933.

1933 United Kingdom De la Rue D R McLachlin Cartomancy

The Prophet Fortune Telling Cards were published by Thomas de la Rue & Co. and registered in the U.S. Library of Congress Copyright Office on June 17, 1933*. The cards themselves are not exciting to look at, being in black and white only and without any images. There are four meanings per card (thus 200 in all), but only the one in the top left-hand corner is to be read out when the cards are laid out. The cards are square in shape, with rounded corners. The back design incorporates the signs of the zodiac, stars, horseshoes, a swastika (symbol of good luck), etc. According to the leaflet, only 35 of the 50 cards should be dealt at any one time; the “remaining 15 cards should not be turned up for very few people meet with a full experience of life”! • See the leaflet
See the box

Prophet Fortune Telling Cards, Thomas de la Rue & Co., 1933 Prophet Fortune Telling Cards, Thomas de la Rue & Co., 1933 Prophet Fortune Telling Cards, Thomas de la Rue & Co., 1933

Above: Prophet Fortune Telling Cards, Thomas de la Rue & Co., 1933. 50 cards + instruction leaflet in box with hinged lid. Size: 82.5 x 82.5 mm.


Further References

Jensen, K. Frank. The Prophetic Cards, cat. no. 3.17. Roskilde, Denmark, 1985

* Library of Congress Copyright Office, Catalogue of Copyright Entries, Part 1, Books group 1, (New series, volume 30 for the year 1933), no.5705. Available online here

Prophet Fortune Telling Cards, Thomas de la Rue & Co., 1933
avatar
583 Articles

By Roddy Somerville

Member since May 31, 2022

Roddy started collecting stamps on his 8th birthday. In 1977 he joined the newly formed playing-card department at Stanley Gibbons in London before setting up his own business in Edinburgh four years later. His collecting interests include playing cards, postcards, stamps (especially playing cards on stamps) and sugar wrappers. He is a Past President of the Scottish Philatelic Society, a former Chairman of the IPCS, a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards and Curator of the WCMPC’s collection of playing cards. He lives near Toulouse in France.

Related Articles

1897 Tarot hiéroglyphique égyptien

Tarot hiéroglyphique égyptien

The design of the cards draws inspiration from various religious and philosophical traditions merged...

1992 Disney’s Aladdin playing cards

Disney’s Aladdin playing cards

Characters from the 1992 Disney film Aladdin.

2011 2011 Worshipful Company Pack

2011 Worshipful Company Pack

Celebrating the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Dickens, with characters adapted from drawings b...

2022 Oracle Rock

Oracle Rock

Cartomantic set depicting rock and pop stars, designed by La Rata, with a book by Virginie Despentes...

1926 Jockey Club de Buenos Aires

Jockey Club de Buenos Aires

Spanish-suited pack by Chas Goodall & Son Ltd for the Jockey Club, Buenos Aires.

1976 Eki karuta

Eki karuta

Japanese fortune-telling cards based on I Ching, with bold, modern designs.

New interest in old games

New interest in old games

Games once fashionable are now eclipsed by quicker gratifications.

1999 Polygo™

Polygo™

Cards of irregular, four-sided shape for playing word and colour games as well as more traditional o...

1995 Treasures from the Bodleian Library

Treasures from the Bodleian Library

Rare books, manuscripts, music scores, portraits, maps, gospels, chronicles and other valuable artef...

1863 Victorian grocer’s scale plate

Victorian grocer’s scale plate

Large flat plate decorated with highly coloured English cards and royal arms.

2024 Queen of Arts

Queen of Arts

A wide variety of women artists celebrated on cards with illustrations by Laura Callaghan.

1990 The Glasgow Pack

The Glasgow Pack

Issued to celebrate Glasgow’s reign as European City of Culture in 1990, with city views and works o...

2018 Cathedrals, Abbeys & Minsters playing cards

Cathedrals, Abbeys & Minsters playing cards

54 pictures of different famous cathedrals, abbeys and minsters in England and Wales.

2018 Christmas Carols

Christmas Carols

Christmas Carols playing cards illustrated by Stuart Dilks

1798 Pam is the Knave of Clubs

Pam is the Knave of Clubs

Playing cards as metaphors in 18th century art - from fate, chance and social hierarchy t...

1920 Question and Answer Games

Question and Answer Games

A card game called “Impertinent Questions and Pertinent Answers” was launched in the early 1920s by ...