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  home   >   cards from Hannover   >   Paris pattern cards from Hannover

These cards were produced c.1800 by Johann Traugott Meyer in Hannover. The maker's name is on the Jack of Clubs.

The cards show a version of the single-faced 'Paris Pattern' used at that time in Germany (if the maker did not prefer to print double-faced cards). The Kings and Queens and the Jacks of Hearts and Diamonds carry the usual names. On the Ace of Spades is a stamp similar to a tax stamp; Meyer paid a tax fee for his privilege to produce playing-cards in Hannover.

The cards were used for fortune telling: on each back are three fortunes in French language. Two examples are shown in the bottom row. You can also see list of all the fortunes as a separate PDF file. Note that the spelling may sometimes look strange: it is 18th century French!