When three brands merge...
After De la Rue factories were bombed in 1940 their cards were printed by Waddingtons. In 1962 Waddingtons and De la Rue combined forces to form the Amalgamated Playing Card Co.
As we know, after the De la Rue factories were bombed during the war in 1940 their cards were printed by Waddingtons. In 1962 Waddingtons and De la Rue combined forces to form the Amalgamated Playing Card Co, but in 1971 De la Rue pulled out of playing cards leaving Waddingtons the sole manufacturer. Here is a double pack produced for an unidentifiable shipping line in which ALL THREE companies come together. One pack has a De la Rue ace of spades, harlequin jokers and complaints slip. The other was sealed with a Waddington’s seal, carries an Amalgamated ace of spades and Waddington’s standard jokers with a De la Rue complaints slip. See the sealed Ace of Spades►
Above: double boxed set manufactured by Waddingtons for De la Rue and Amalgamated Playing Card Co., late 1960s. Images courtesy Matt Probert.
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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