Paraguayan Playing Cards
Playing Cards in Paraguay

Paraguay
"Un importante crecimiento comercial y producto del último cuarto del siglo XVIII permite el establecimiento y/o el incremento de diversos impuestos a la Corona; el estanco del Tabaco, el de la Pólvora y los naipes, la Sisas y Alcábalas, el Diezmo y la provincia, etc. De esos años proviene una rica platería de uso religioso y doméstico, y la fastuosa arquitectura eclesiástica de Yaguarón y Capiatá".
During the 19th and early 20th centuries packs were imported from Spain (manufactured by Sebastian Comas y Ricart) by agents such as Ruis y Jorba, Asunción. The example below dates from c.1904.


Right: Naipes Vencedor, manufactured in Paraguay by La Vencedora S.A, c.1985. The designs follow the modern version of the Spanish Catalan pattern, with the Paraguayan flag draped behind the ace of coins.

Above: Paraguayan Cigarette packet featuring playing card symbolism, 1950s.
See also: Taxes and Tax Stamps on Playing-cards►

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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