After collecting more court card pictures than I really needed I narrowed my focus down to double-ended cards between 1860 and 1920 and went to work.
I first came across this often repeated statement on the internet;
DOUBLE-ENDING: said to have been introduced to avoid giving away the presence of court cards in one's hand. This meant turning the figures of the six courts with right-hand pips: QoS, QoC, QoD, JoH, JoC, JoD.
In most cases it also meant redrawing these courts (or all of them), rather than just reversing the relevant plates (which was probably impossible).
The other method, of altering the design to fit the pips in, was employed in one of the courts by the revived (English companies) Hunt & Sons and Bancks, though the rest were just turned. In each case the QoS has not been turned, but her sceptre has been reduced in size to keep it out of the way of her pip. The clothing and posture of all the queens has been considerably revised.
Not true. I discovered there are three basic ways these above mentioned six court cards are turned. I call the alignments “East Coast”, “Western” and “R&M”.
My East Coast makers list are mainly the usual suspects like Dougherty, Hart, Cohen, Levy, Perfection and such. By 1855 Andrew Dougherty was making double-ended cards and by 1860, the double-ended cards were appearing in a number of decks.
The Western makers are mostly the Midwest ones like North American, Kalamazoo, National Card and early Russell & Morgan.
My R&M is of course Russell & Morgan plus American Playing Card of Kalamazoo, Card Fabrique, Willis Russell and Kalamazoo Playing Card (after the USPC takeover). There are more, but these are the main ones.
I reference the facing of the cards as them looking to your right or left.
Half of the court cards are turned like this with their pips in the lefthand corner…..
King of Clubs faces to your left.
King of Diamonds faces to your left.
King of Hearts faces to your left.
Queen of Hearts faces to your left.
King of Spades faces to your right.
Jack of Spades faces to your right.
The other six cards are turned like this by the different makers;
East Coast Western R & M
Jack of Clubs Left Right Right
Jack of Diamonds Right Left Right
Jack of Hearts Right Left Left
Queen of Clubs Right Left Left
Queen of Diamonds Right Left Left
Queen of Spades Left Right Right
I first came across this often repeated statement on the internet;
DOUBLE-ENDING: said to have been introduced to avoid giving away the presence of court cards in one's hand. This meant turning the figures of the six courts with right-hand pips: QoS, QoC, QoD, JoH, JoC, JoD.
In most cases it also meant redrawing these courts (or all of them), rather than just reversing the relevant plates (which was probably impossible).
The other method, of altering the design to fit the pips in, was employed in one of the courts by the revived (English companies) Hunt & Sons and Bancks, though the rest were just turned. In each case the QoS has not been turned, but her sceptre has been reduced in size to keep it out of the way of her pip. The clothing and posture of all the queens has been considerably revised.
Not true. I discovered there are three basic ways these above mentioned six court cards are turned. I call the alignments “East Coast”, “Western” and “R&M”.
My East Coast makers list are mainly the usual suspects like Dougherty, Hart, Cohen, Levy, Perfection and such. By 1855 Andrew Dougherty was making double-ended cards and by 1860, the double-ended cards were appearing in a number of decks.
The Western makers are mostly the Midwest ones like North American, Kalamazoo, National Card and early Russell & Morgan.
My R&M is of course Russell & Morgan plus American Playing Card of Kalamazoo, Card Fabrique, Willis Russell and Kalamazoo Playing Card (after the USPC takeover). There are more, but these are the main ones.
I reference the facing of the cards as them looking to your right or left.
Half of the court cards are turned like this with their pips in the lefthand corner…..
King of Clubs faces to your left.
King of Diamonds faces to your left.
King of Hearts faces to your left.
Queen of Hearts faces to your left.
King of Spades faces to your right.
Jack of Spades faces to your right.
The other six cards are turned like this by the different makers;
East Coast Western R & M
Jack of Clubs Left Right Right
Jack of Diamonds Right Left Right
Jack of Hearts Right Left Left
Queen of Clubs Right Left Left
Queen of Diamonds Right Left Left
Queen of Spades Left Right Right
For these cards,,,,,
THE EAST COAST PATTERN PUTS THESE SIX COURT CARD PIPS IN THE RIGHTHAND CORNER.
BUT, THE WESTERN PATTERN PUTS THESE COURT CARD PIPS IN THE LEFTHAND CORNER WHICH MEANS THAT ALL WESTERN PATTERN DECKS HAVE PIPS IN THE LEFTHAND CORNER.
Of course, a couple of exceptions have occurred. There are;
The North American Card Company of Chicago and the Excelsior Playing Card Company of New York City flipped their King of Clubs.
Huestis & Levy flipped their King of Hearts.
Russell Playing Cards flipped their Jack of Spades.
Margaret F. Milward and Andrew Dougherty’s Triplicate decks have a flipped Queen of Hearts and they placed the pip in the righthand corner.
Huestis & Levy put the King of Hearts pip in the righthand corner.
The North American Card Company of Chicago and the Excelsior Playing Card Company of New York City flipped their King of Clubs.
Huestis & Levy flipped their King of Hearts.
Russell Playing Cards flipped their Jack of Spades.
Margaret F. Milward and Andrew Dougherty’s Triplicate decks have a flipped Queen of Hearts and they placed the pip in the righthand corner.
Huestis & Levy put the King of Hearts pip in the righthand corner.