Jeu de 54 cartes

Sometimes cheap and cheerful packs can throw up a surprise. This one did. The pack has no proper name and no sign of a manufacturer; however, a sticker on the outer cellophane wrapper indicates that it was being sold off by a jobber specialising in unwanted stock. It could well have been made in China. Presumably intended for the French market – the indices are R, D, V, and A (rather than 1) – it has court cards based on the English pattern. The tuck box has clearly been designed to resemble locally produced French ones. Obviously not a success! See the box►

Above: Jeu de 54 cartes, completely anonymous, no legends on any ace or anywhere else. 52 cards + 2 Jokers + 1 extra card with text in a mixture of languages, in a tuck box. Size: 57 x 87 mm. Purchased near Toulouse.

NOTE: Ken Lodge has shown these designs to be a re-drawn version of ARRCO’s courts manufactured in China since c.2010. Obviously this is for the French-speaking market with French indices.