American Civil War playing cards
American Civil War playing cards with suits of stars, US flags, US shields and eagles.
Designed to promote patriotism during the American Civil War, these “Union Playing Cards” have the traditional suit signs replaced by eagles and shields (blue) and stars and American flags (red). The kings, queens and knaves are the same in each suit and are represented by a general, Lady Columbia or the Goddess of Liberty and a union military officer. The ace of eagles doubles as a title card and has an elaborate design and the legend “American Card Company” in a banner across the top. The cards are a fascinating artifact of the Civil War era, reflecting the strong patriotic sentiment that prevailed in the North.
Above: American Civil War playing cards produced in New York by Benjamin W. Hitchcock’s “American Card Company”, 14 Chambers St. & 165 William St., 1862. 52 playing cards in a telescopic box, no indices, lithographed in blue with red stencilling, 90 x 63mm. Pictorial back design depicting flags and Union crest surmounted by a star, lithographed in blue. Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France • Union Playing Cards►
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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American Civil War playing cards
American Civil War playing cards with suits of stars, US flags, US shields and eagles.
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