Overstolz Cigaretten
Colourful publicity playing cards for a brand of German cigarettes.
This pack has psychedelic courts, with a different set of strong colours used for each suit. Only the Queen and Jack of Clubs are shown smoking. The suit-signs on the pip cards have been redesigned, some of them overlapping with the corner pips. The indices are in German. Overstolz cigarettes were first introduced in 1917 but discontinued in 2015 except for online sales.
Above: Overstolz Cigaretten promotional playing cards designed by Jan Buchholz and Leni Hinsch. Printed by A.S.S., Leinfelden, Germany, c1970. 32 cards in plastic box. Size: 59 x 91 mm.
The same faces were also used in the pack called “Schöner Wohnen”.
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.
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