Colonial Playing Cards

Colonial Playing CardsThis reproduction deck of 18thcentury playing cards includes 52 foursuited cards with plain backs, standard until the 19th century, when Thomas De La Rue & Co. introduced printed backs to discourage cardmarking. Playing cards date to the mid15th century, when importing foreign decks was often illegal, possibly because they depicted kings and queens of other nations. George Washington himself was a devoted card player, favoring games like whist during

This reproduction deck of 18th‑century playing cards includes 52 four‑suited cards with plain backs, standard until the 19th century, when Thomas De La Rue & Co. introduced printed backs to discourage card‑marking. Playing cards date to the mid‑15th century, when importing foreign decks was often illegal, possibly because they depicted kings and queens of other nations. 

George Washington himself was a devoted card player, favoring games like whist during the Revolutionary War and even keeping careful records of his winnings.

On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolutionary War, the Museum of the City of New York—a true gem where the city’s layered past comes vividly to life—joins the Gotham Center for New York City History to present The Occupied City: New York and the American Revolution, a fitting backdrop.

• Packaged in a resealable poly bag.
• Reproduction deck of 18-century.
• 3-1/2″ x 2-1/2″ cards.
• Printed on matte, heavy-weight, aged card stock.
• Card backs are blank as they were until the 19th century.
• Includes 52 four-suited playing cards.