Double Headed Prussian Pattern Type II - Head

Home , Acorns (suit), Leaves (suit), Ober (playing card)

The International Playing-Card Society PATTERN SHEET 111 Suit System G Other Classification

Recommended name: Kings: Each bears two suit-marks beside the Double headed Prussian pattern Type II - head. They show frontal position, the kings with views on the pip cards. of Acorns, Leaves and Hearts wear different Alternative name: Prussian-Silesian pattern crowns, the king of Bells wears a turban. with views on the pip cards. Opposite to the common practice the type of The court cards of Leaves are dedicated to this pattern is differentiated according to the hunting. configuration of the pip and not of the court Obers: Acorns show a pitman in official cards. dress, Hearts another huntsman and Bells a noble man smoking a pipe. History Unters: Represent simple men of lower Soon after the establishment of the rank, Acorns - a young farmer in Sunday “Deutsche Holzkarte” (see IPCS # 110) attire, Leaves - a hunter’s helper, Hearts - a Christian Theodor Sutor at Naumburg waiter and Bells - a village innkeeper. combined the court cards of it with pictures The pip cards show views of landscape, of castles on the pip cards. Carl Pfeiffer at cities, buildings, and monuments, mostly Berlin did it alike and some other manu- located at the whole German Empire but facturers followed that practice showing not sometimes only regional related. only castles but regional landscapes also. After the German Unification of 1871 this Composition kind of design was practiced with the 32 cards: Daus, King, Ober, Unter, X to 7 Double headed Prussian pattern as well for Skat. Very seldom 6s are added. showing now predominantly views of famous Cities of the new Empire. At and Some makers after the turn of the century several new Sutor Nachf., Naumburg; Vereinigte Stral- layouts of the Double headed Prussian sunder Spielkarenfabriken; Altenburger pattern Type II were generated, which show Spielkartenfabrik; E. Büttner, Berlin; F.X. somewhat bigger figures on the court cards Schmid, Munich; Hamburger Spielkarten- and, following a growing national en- fabrik; Lattmann, Goslar; Ludwig & thusiasm, more and more national monu- Schmidt, Halle; J.P. Bürgers, Cologne; ments in combination with famous buildings Flemming-Wiskott A.G., Glogau; H.W. on the pip cards. Despite the fact that the Friedrich & Co, Breslau; J. Kliegl & Co, region where this pattern has been the Mainz; Ferd. Piatnik & Söhne, Wien. standard belongs now to Poland as a result of the second world-war, the Double headed Some references Prussian pattern Type II has been produced Suma, Wolfgang: The Prussian Pattern, in Germany until c 2010. The Journal of the PCS Vol III No.3 1975, p. 1ff; Kohlmann, Theodor and Ra-dau, Characteristic features Sigmar: Das Preußische Bild, Berlin Daus cards: Show antique gods/ goddesses: 1978; Kranich Jürgen: Das Preußische Acorns - Dionysos/Bakchos, Leaves - Bild 2, Berlin 2007, Radau, Sigmar and Artemis/Diana, Hearts - Athena/Minerva Kranich, Jürgen: Die Spielkartenfabrik and Bells - Demeter/Ceres. Sutor in Naumburg, Berlin 2008.

The International Playing-Card Society 10/2017 KST The International Playing-Card Society PATTERN SHEET 111 Suit System G Other Classification

Double headed Prussian pattern Type II, court cards.

Altenburger Spielkartenfabrik Schneider & Co, Altenburg, c. 1895. The International Playing-Card Society 10/2017 KST The International Playing-Card Society PATTERN SHEET 111 Suit System G Other Classification

Double headed Prussian pattern Type II, pip cards.

Double headed Prussian pattern Type II.

Left: older versions; right: later versions with somewhat bigger figures on court cards. The International Playing-Card Society 10/2017 KST