Royal National Patriotic Cards, Birmingham, circa 1893-1897, fifty-two playing cards, comprising four suits of thirteen, representing England, Germany, France, and America, each with pictorial ace depicting national flags, pip cards 2-10 and three double-ended court cards, dusty and some creases, versos with pattern of clocks in blue and gold, rounded corners, 90 x 60mm (3.5 x 2.25ins), the whole deck mounted together (with corner mounts), framed and glazed Rare. David Kimberley & Sons were makers of carpenters' planes, so the production of a deck of playing cards was a marked departure from their usual business. They made five editions of these cards between 1892 and 1905, after which the the firm went out of business. This deck is the second (and best) edition, the first being being poorly printed and swiftly withdrawn, and the subsequent editions being inferior in several ways (notably having only two, not four, flags on the aces, and not being printed in thirteen colours as here). Queen Victoria and Prince Albert are the king and queen of diamonds, Napoleon is king of spades, George Washington is king of hearts, and Wilhelm III is king of clubs. The horological backs feature forty-two clocks showing the time at midday GMT in various cities around the world. (1)
Royal National Patriotic Cards, Birmingham, circa 1893-1897, fifty-two playing cards, comprising four suits of thirteen, representing England, Germany, France, and America, each with pictorial ace depicting national flags, pip cards 2-10 and three double-ended court cards, dusty and some creases, versos with pattern of clocks in blue and gold, rounded corners, 90 x 60mm (3.5 x 2.25ins), the whole deck mounted together (with corner mounts), framed and glazed Rare. David Kimberley & Sons were makers of carpenters' planes, so the production of a deck of playing cards was a marked departure from their usual business. They made five editions of these cards between 1892 and 1905, after which the the firm went out of business. This deck is the second (and best) edition, the first being being poorly printed and swiftly withdrawn, and the subsequent editions being inferior in several ways (notably having only two, not four, flags on the aces, and not being printed in thirteen colours as here). Queen Victoria and Prince Albert are the king and queen of diamonds, Napoleon is king of spades, George Washington is king of hearts, and Wilhelm III is king of clubs. The horological backs feature forty-two clocks showing the time at midday GMT in various cities around the world. (1)
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
