Golden Charades
Drawn by Bernard Cookson, the clues, riddles and puzzles on these cards could have won the solver a bar of silver or gold.
Bernard Cookson (1937-2016) was a British cartoonist and illustrator who contributed the suit of Hearts to The Cartoonists’ Pack published in 1980. In the following year he created this highly original pack with pictorial clues, riddles and puzzles which, if solved, could have won the contestant a bar of silver or a bar of gold. The pack is fully illustrated, with a different set of colours used for the courts and borders in each suit. Were the puzzles solved and the prizes won? That remains a mystery.
Above: Golden Charades playing cards drawn by Bernard Cookson and published by Golden Charade Limited, UK, 1981. 52 cards + 2 Jokers + 2 extra cards in tuck box. Size: 65.5 x 91 mm. © 1981 by Golden Charade Limited.
• See the box►
11 years later, another pack was issued where a prize (£5,000 cash) was offered for solving a riddle, namely The Key to the Kingdom►
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
Victorian grocer’s scale plate
Large flat plate decorated with highly coloured English cards and royal arms.
Queen of Arts
A wide variety of women artists celebrated on cards with illustrations by Laura Callaghan.
The Glasgow Pack
Issued to celebrate Glasgow’s reign as European City of Culture in 1990, with city views and works o...
Cathedrals, Abbeys & Minsters playing cards
54 pictures of different famous cathedrals, abbeys and minsters in England and Wales.
Christmas Carols
Christmas Carols playing cards illustrated by Stuart Dilks
Pam is the Knave of Clubs
Playing cards as metaphors in 18th century art - from fate, chance and social hierarchy t...
Question and Answer Games
A card game called “Impertinent Questions and Pertinent Answers” was launched in the early 1920s by ...
Dr Sacheverell
Dr. Henry Sacheverell's impeachment in 1710 sparked widespread public unrest and political upheaval,...
Leadmill playing cards
Promotional pack for an arts centre in Sheffield with designs by Martin F. Bedford.
Agatha Christie and card games
Agatha Christie uses card-play as a primary focus of a story, and as a way of creating plots and mot...
English Heritage
52 different colour photos of historic sites managed by English Heritage.
The Malt Whiskies of Scotland
Three packs featuring photographs by Duncan McEwan of malt whisky distilleries in Scotland.
Typographic Playing Cards
Typographic Playing Cards designed by Jim Sutherland, c.2010.
76: Transitions: Hunt & Sons
Styles change and technology develops. This means that it's possible to see transition periods in th...
Gibson’s History of England
History without tears for young and old, 1920s.
Simpson (Piccadilly) playing cards
Innovative advertising pack for Simpsons of Piccadilly designed by André François.
Trending Articles
Popular articles from the past 28 days
