Mundiales 82 playing cards
Two packs (one French-suited, one Spanish-suited) for the World Cup held in Spain, 1982.
The central image shared by these two packs is of a humanised football with various types of headgear, holding a trophy and standing on a map of Spain. However, this is not exactly the mascot of the 1982 World Cup which was ‘Naranjito’, the little orange. Perhaps the publishers of these packs were trying to avoid having to pay royalties on the ‘Naranjito’ image. Also included in the designs are the names of the 14 Spanish cities which hosted matches that year together with the badges of clubs linked to those cities. Finally, there is a border in red and yellow (the colours of the Spanish flag), interrupted twice by the card value for the French-suited pack and a miniature playing card for the Spanish-suited pack. The image on the reverse is of two footballers in action against a striped background (green for the French-suited pack, orange for the Spanish-suited pack). The quality of the card stock is poor. See the boxes►
French-suited pack
Above: Mundiales 82 playing cards with French indices, Maker unknown, 1981. 52 cards + 2 (identical) Jokers + 1 canasta score card in tuck box. Size: 62 x 95 mm.
Spanish-suited pack
Above: Mundiales 82 playing cards with Spanish indices, Maker unknown, 1981. 48 cards + 2 (identical) Jokers in tuck box. Size: 62 x 95 mm.
The backs of the boxes are plain white apart from "D.L.B. 11.268-81" and "D.L.B. 11-267-81", respectively, in the bottom right-hand corner. These are the "depósito legal" numbers.
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.
Related Articles
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 28 days
