Benoist Laius
Spanish playing cards such as these were used in those parts of France where certain games were enjoyed, such as Aluette.

Spanish National Pattern made in South France, early 18th century
Benoist Laius is believed to have worked in Montpellier between 1706 - 1738. Montpellier is located on the south coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea. The pack could possibly have been carried to Spain by French troops supporting Felipe V in Barcelona in 1714.
Spanish playing cards like these were used in those parts of France where certain games were enjoyed, such as Aluette.

Above: cards from a 48-card deck in the 'Spanish National' pattern, manufactured by Benoist Laius, Montpellier (France), sometime between 1706-1725. The maker's name or initials appears on several cards. Woodblock and stencil printing technology. There are no 'pintas' or breaks in the framelines to denote the suits, as is usual in Spanish playing cards. The backs are plain white.
There is no Bourbon escutcheon on the Spanish arms on the Ace of Coins (the first Bourbon King in Spain was 1700). Possibly the woodblocks were out-of-date, or the woodcutters supplied unnamed blocks so that the new owner could print their own name or initials in the empty spaces. The Sota of Coins holds a horn in his right hand. Almost identical packs were being produced by other makers, such as Jacques Sellon, Marseille, c.1710 or J. Coissieux, Romans in c.1725.
REFERENCES
Mann, Sylvia: All Cards on the Table, Jonas Verlag/Deutsches Spielkarten-Museum, Leinfelden-Echterdingen, 1990

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.
Related Articles

Le Globe Céleste
Views and plans of five international exhibitions held in Paris between 1855 and 1900.

Le Journal de Mickey
Perforated sheet of cards with Disney characters issued with the magazine Le Journal de Mickey.

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

La Réussite (Sébastien Féraut)
Sébastien Féraut’s designs inspired by the animal kingdom for a set promoting patience games.

Le Tarot de Sète
Reinterpretation of the Tarot de Marseille by Julien Labat, an artist from Sète.

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

Jeu Numismatique
European coins of all periods replace the traditional courts and pips.

Jeu Philatélique
Cards with French postage stamps featuring famous literary figures.

Tarot Philatélique
Tarot game pack with French postage stamps on all the courts, aces and trumps.

Jeu Philatélique – Les Colonies Françaises
Philatelic card game featuring real postage stamps from the French colonies.

Braulio Fournier
Baraja Nº 1 produced by Braulio Fournier, Burgos, c.1868.

Tarot Actuel 1984
Major arcana to cut out, issued with the French magazine Actuel, using photographic images.

Spanish pattern by Eugène Boisse
Spanish pattern published by Eugène Boisse, Bordeaux.

Catalan pattern by B.P Grimaud
Standard Spanish Catalan pattern deck made in Paris by B.P Grimaud.

Cartes politiques : Jeu d'actualité
Political playing cards published by Grimaud et Chartier, Paris, 1872.

Le Poker Politique
French politicians and various world leaders caricatured by the German artist Bubec.
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 28 days