Peter Endebrock's Playing-card Pages        home   -   cards from Hannover   -   taxes   -   collection   -   societies   -   my publications

  home   >   collection   >   Swabian pattern cards

This is a Gaigel pack with the single-faced Swabian pattern (sometimes referred to as Darmstadt pattern). It was produced by an unknown maker in Germany, most probably in the second half of the 19th century.

Typical for this pattern are the deuce cards, they show symbolic designs for:

Acorns:	Student life
Leaves:	Art and science
Hearts:	Military life
Bells:	Trade and crafts

Note the unusual illustrations on the pip cards.

Regretfully, the cards are heavily used, and the Ten and Seven of Acorns are missing. For Gaigel, a double pack with two times 24 cards is used.