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Playing-Card Tax Bands from France

Besides the stamps on the cards, thin paper bands (bandes de contrôles) on the packaging were used in France from 1798 to 1945.

This band was used around 1800. The printed text 'JEUX DE CARTES' was completed by hand with the number of cards at the wider space, as was the text 'Du Citoyen' by the name of the maker. There are bands where the 'Citoyen' is abbreviated.

It went together with the following band with the text 'LOI du 9 / Vendémiaire an 6', which names a law from 1797. This band is actually much longer on both sides.

 
 
 

These are four examples used from 1804 to 1816 (or possibly only 1814). They differ in their text. The first was used for 'cartes ordinaires intérieur' with the standard French pattern ('portrait officiel'). The 'PORTRAIT ÉTRANGER' is for cards different from the French standard pattern. I am presently not sure what the rest of the words refers to. I suspect that it is the distribution area, but it might be something else.

 
 
 

These bands belong to the previous ones. They are shown with a different reduction factor. They were used for packets of card packs.

Starting from c. 1831, there was an embossed laurel wreath around the text 'CONTRIBUTIONS INDIRECTES' (in an abbreviated form) in the white space in the middle.

This band was in use between 1871 and 1895. The cancel stamp is 'DIRECTION Gle DES CONTRIBUTIONS INDIRECTES - CARTES A JOUER'.

This one was in use from 1895 to 1904. It was for standard French cards ('PORTRAIT FRANÇAIS') for packs with 36 or less cards ('JEUX DE 36 CARTES ET AU-DESSOUS'). The cancel stamp is similar to the one before.

This is another one in use from 1895 to 1904. It was also for standard French cards ('PORTRAIT FRANÇAIS'), but for packs with more than 36 cards ('JEUX DE PLUS DE 36 CARTES'). It was cancelled in 1902.
(scanned by Jan Wessels)

This is still another one from the time 1895 to 1904. It is again for the 'PORTRAIT FRANÇAIS', but this time for 'CARTES DE CERCLES', that should be cards for clubs. And it is for packs with more than 36 cards ('JEUX DE PLUS DE 36 CARTES')

 
 

These three bands were in use from 1904 to 1920. They correspond to the three bands shown above. The difference is the 'Impôt' in front of the value; that was introduced in 1904.

This band was in use from 1920 to 1924. It was for standard French cards ('PORTRAIT FRANÇAIS') for packs with more than 36 cards ('JEUX DE PLUS DE 36 CARTES').

This band was in use from 1924 to 1926. It was intended for cards with special patterns ('PORTRAIT ÉTRANGER') for 'ordinary' packs ('JEUX DE CARTES ORDINAIRES').

This band was in use from 1926 to 1938. It is for standard French cards ('PORTRAIT FRANÇAIS') for packs with up to 36 cards ('JEUX DE 36 CARTES ET AU-DESSOUS').

This is the same band as before, but it has a red overprint 'IMPOT 5f ' (if I read it correctly). I think that this was used around 1938 when the tax was raised, probably to re-stamp old packs.

This is another band in use from 1926 to 1938. It is for the 'PORTRAIT ÉTRANGER' (which means cards with the Belgian-Genoese or some special pattern) for 'JEUX DE CARTES ORDINAIRES'.

This band was also in use from 1926 to 1938. It is for the 'PORTRAIT FRANÇAIS' for 'JEUX DE PLUS DE 36 CARTES CERCLES' (packs with more than 36 cards for casinos).

This band was used in 1939 . It was for cards with the 'PORTRAIT FRANÇAIS', for 'JEUX DE 36 CARTES ET AU-DESSOUS' (packs with up to 36 cards). The specialty is that they were free of tax ('Dispense d'impôt.'), because they were intended for the 'ARMÉE FRANÇAISE.'.

 
 

I do not exactly know when these bands were used, but one of the packs I found them on is definitely from around 1940.
The first two bands are for the 'PORTRAIT FRANÇAIS', the first for packs with not more than 36 cards ('JEUX DE 36 CARTES ET AU-DESSOUS'), the other for packs with more than 36 cards ('JEUX DE PLUS DE 36 CARTES'). The third band is for the 'PORTRAIT ÉTRANGER' and for 'JEUX DE CARTES ORDINAIRES', with 'ordinary cards' possibly opposed to luxury cards.
These bands do not have a value, but just say that the tax was paid ('Impôt acquitté.').

Additional information
You might want to have a look at the Indochina page with tax bands from the time as a French colony.


© Peter Endebrock, 10 June 2011