Friday, January 28, 2011

Swastika Playing Cards Revisited

As I wrote last week, I've been trying to get my hands on a somewhat rare set of cards from the US Playing Card Company (makers of Bicycle, Hoyle, and other brands). This particular design features a pattern of swastikas, leading some to speculate that it was made for export to Nazi Germany. I think I demonstrated fairly conclusively that this was nonsense, and that the design was merely a common motif (sometimes a symbol for good luck) that was probably discontinued after Hitler rose to power.

Well, I finally won an auction for a single example of the card, and here it is. Based on various features, I'd date this one to sometime in the 1930s. It's in amazingly good condition for its age, with a firm coating, no bends or creases, and very little discoloration.


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have a complete set of these...How much are they worth ? The cards are in great shape but the box is damaged ?

Thomas L. McDonald said...

I'd have to guess anywhere from $20 to $40, based on recent auction results. The one above cost $1.

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