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552 Articles

Roddy Somerville

  • France • 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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2001 Das Peanuts Kartenspiel

Das Peanuts Kartenspiel

Cartoon characters from the famous comic strip devised by Charles M. Schultz.

1991 Le Golf de Mose

Le Golf de Mose

Humorous cartoons of golfers in action on playing cards by the artist Mose.

1976 Iron Horses of the West

Iron Horses of the West

Steam and diesel locomotives from the famous Atchison, Topeka and Sante Fe Railway Company.

1985 Alternative Happy Families

Alternative Happy Families

An updated, 1980s-style “Alternative Happy Families” game.

2006 Le Jeu des Chats (Dubout)

Le Jeu des Chats (Dubout)

Cartoon-style illustrations of cats on playing cards created by the French artist Albert Dubout.

2006 Molière par Dubout

Molière par Dubout

Characters and scenes from plays by Molière as drawn by the cartoonist Albert Dubout.

2021 Soroptimist International Scotland South Region

Soroptimist International Scotland South Region

Celebrating 100 years of Soroptimist International, 1921-2021.

2003 Scouting playing cards

Scouting playing cards

Cartoon-style illustrations promoting a Belgian organisation for scouts and guides.

2010 Carte Giganti Siciliane

Carte Giganti Siciliane

Gigantic souvenir pack combining traditional Sicilian pattern cards with photographic views.

2020 Sicilia in Acquerello

Sicilia in Acquerello

Souvenir playing cards from Sicily using watercolours rather than photographs.

1977 BEB playing cards

BEB playing cards

Multicoloured publicity pack for a gas production and transport company.

2005 55 Mucha Paintings on Playing Cards

55 Mucha Paintings on Playing Cards

Fully illustrated pack featuring a large selection of Mucha’s works.

2015 Gustav Klimt playing cards

Gustav Klimt playing cards

Gustav Klimt playing cards featuring familiar elements of Klimt’s work.

2015 Rosina Wachtmeister playing cards

Rosina Wachtmeister playing cards

Cats, cats and more cats in Wachtmeister’s inimitable style.

1975 American Drummer

American Drummer

American Drummer Playing Cards celebrating famous Americans involved in the fight for American independence.

2001 Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween

Spooky designs such as black cats, pumpkins, bats, spiders and ghosts for Halloween.

2020 Bicycle Tragic Royalty

Bicycle Tragic Royalty

Modified courts rendered tragic and somewhat scary.

1995 Art Quilt playing cards

Art Quilt playing cards

A pack showcasing the work of 54 of America’s finest quilt artists.

1760 Trappola cards from Prague

Trappola cards from Prague

15 Trappola playing cards possibly made by Johann Ziser of Prague, c1760.

1997 The Lord of the Rings Tarot Deck & Card Game

The Lord of the Rings Tarot Deck & Card Game

The Lord of the Rings Tarot Pack by Terry Donaldson and artist Peter Pracownik. Published 1997 by U.S. Games Systems.

1979 Logger-Reno

Logger-Reno

A tribute to the logging industry with suits of trees and trucks.

1985 Virginia Slims

Virginia Slims

Tasteful advertising pack promoting Virginia Slims cigarettes.

1974 Flickers playing cards

Flickers playing cards

Stills from MGM films from the golden age of Hollywood.

1910 South Africa Souvenir

South Africa Souvenir

Photographic views of South Africa and Rhodesia.

1979 Tarot Junior Walt Disney

Tarot Junior Walt Disney

A Disney version of the French Tarot game aimed at younger players.

1979 French External Trade Organization

French External Trade Organization

Promoting the elegance and quality of a range of French products.

1985 Scenic Views of New Zealand

Scenic Views of New Zealand

A ‘Rangitira’ souvenir showing 52 different scenic views of the North and South Islands of New Zealand.

1984 The Times of Kamehameha The Great

The Times of Kamehameha The Great

Figures from Hawaiian history and scenes of everyday life designed by Joseph Feher.

1970 Trip or Trap

Trip or Trap

Fighting drug abuse in the flower power era using humour and ridicule.

1971 Sigma Coatings

Sigma Coatings

Advertising pack for a company supplying marine paints.

1955 Beauty

Beauty

Pin-up pack closely resembling the more famous one called “Darling”.

1966 English pattern by Bielefelder Spielkarten

English pattern by Bielefelder Spielkarten

Standard designs by Bielefelder Spielkarten GmbH, Bielefeld, Germany, c1966.

1977 Masuo Ikeda

Masuo Ikeda

Striking, colourful designs by the Japanese artist Masuo Ikeda.

2014 Politically Incorrect Happy Families

Politically Incorrect Happy Families

A Happy Families set with many differences from a conventional one.

2000 Great Romances of the 20th Century

Great Romances of the 20th Century

Famous stars featured in series two and three of this BBC programme.

1981 Wimmera Playing Cards

Wimmera Playing Cards

Different scenes from the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia, drawn by Colin Daniels.

1985 Whales and Friends

Whales and Friends

Whales and penguins as seen through the eyes of marine life artist Robert Wyland.

2006 Luxembourg Souvenir

Luxembourg Souvenir

54 scenic views of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

1975 Baraja Maya

Baraja Maya

Original designs inspired by Mayan art and culture published by Fernando Güemes, Mexico.

1980 Naipe Centenario

Naipe Centenario

Latin American designs by Productora de Naipes y Confetti (Pronaco), S.A., Mexico, c1980.

1997 Lost Boys

Lost Boys

Designs created on the occasion of a chess tournament in Antwerp, 1997.

2005 Stainless steel playing cards

Stainless steel playing cards

Out-of-the-ordinary set in an unusual container.

1980 Roche

Roche

Advertising pack for the Swiss-based healthcare company.

1971 Queen High Equality Deck

Queen High Equality Deck

A women’s liberation deck described as “A New Deck For A New Deal”.

1970 Popular Fine Art Litho Works

Popular Fine Art Litho Works

A standard English pack and one adapted for magic tricks by Popular Fine Art Litho Works Ltd., Bombay, India.

1984 Banco Borges & Irmão

Banco Borges & Irmão

Commemorating the centenary of a Portuguese bank, depicting historical figures.

1986 Fernando Valenti

Fernando Valenti

Designs by Italian artist Fernando Valenti issued to coincide with an exhibition of his work in 1986.

1972 Rok playing cards

Rok playing cards

Distinctive designs by James Hodges for a clothing company.

1972 Le Vieux Campeur

Le Vieux Campeur

Advertising pack designed by James Hodges for a Parisian shop selling camping equipment.

2015 Voutch

Voutch

Comic designs by the French artist Olivier Vouktchevitch.

2006 Le Jeu Sétois

Le Jeu Sétois

A celebration of the town of Sète and its famous water jousting tournaments.