Fournier’s Castilian pattern
Designed by Emilio Soubrier, Ignacio Díaz and Augusto Rius during the 1880s as a new definitive national pattern.

Designed by Emilio Soubrier, Ignacio Díaz and Augusto Rius during the 1880s as a new definitive national pattern, these medieval fantasy designs have become ubiquitous among Spanish playing cards of the twentieth century. Having been widely exported, they are widely plagiarised and copied in Latin America.

Above: Naipe Opaco Marfil No.15 Spanish Castilian style playing cards made by Hijos de Heraclio Fournier for Maruẍa razor blades, early 1930s.


Above: Naipe Español No.101 (miniature playing cards) manufactured by Hijos de Heraclio Fournier (Vitoria) c.1940. This particular pack was exported to Argentina and has the Spanish exportation tax stamp on the five of swords.

Above: 'Naipes Fibra Marfil' No.1 Spanish Castilian style playing cards made in Spain by Naipes Heraclio Fournier for Palomino & Vergara Jerez Fabuloso, 1970. Tax stamp on five of swords.

Above: 'Naipes Fibra Marfil' No.1 Spanish Castilian style playing cards made in Spain by Naipes Heraclio Fournier, Vitoria for Nivea, c.2002.

Above: 'La baraja del Realmadrid club de futbol' Castilian style with custom coin symbols, Heraclio Fournier, 2004. Image courtesy Matt Probert.
See also: No.1.E Castilian pattern, c.1935 Coopermatic, c.1983 Cerveza San Miguel, c.1988 Euskarar Araba c.1990 National Lottery Coupons, 2002 Carta Mundi Castilian pattern, 1995

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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