Playing Cards
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PLAYING CARDS The first session of this sale is comprised in large part of the playing card and ephemera collection of Bob and Rhonda Hawes, of Hamden, Conn. The couple met in 1976, married two years later, and have jointly pursued their shared love of cards and card games ever since. Their introduction to collecting came in the early 1980s through Robert Kissel, a bridge- playing friend and student at Yale studying old European card games. Robert taught them gameplay of Tarock and Skat, and in 1986 encouraged the Haweses to attend their first playing card conference, held in nearby New Haven by the International Playing Card Society. Reluctantly, the Haweses agreed to go. The rest, so they say, is history. At the IPCS conference the Haweses met Gene Hochman, an authority on early American playing cards and author of The Encyclopedia of American Playing Cards. Through conversations with him, they were inspired to form a private collection and dedicated themselves to ferreting out 1 top material along the flea market and antique show circuits. They collected widely in books, advertising, postcards, trade cards, stamps, bridge tallies, and more, but eventually narrowed their focus to more specialized areas, most notably non-standard artistic decks, and particularly transformation decks. After more than two decades of active collecting, and following retirement from their previous careers, the couple decided to auction the material as they prepare for the next phase in life, including travel, new hobbies, and volunteer work. Of course, this phase will go on to include attendance at several annual playing card conferences, regular get- togethers with the many friends they’ve made along the way – and lots of games of cards. 2 NOTE: The following abbreviations are used throughout the catalog AMERICAN in descriptions of playing cards: Standard OB – Original Box 1. Continental Card Co. Centennial Deck. Philadelphia, ca. 2. J. Thoubboron “Non Pareil” Playing Cards. 28 Cedar Street, OW – Original Wrapper 1876. 52/52. Very good. The ace of spades tells the tale with the New York, ca. 1870. 52 + Partial Wrapper. Excellent. Hochman J – Joker date 1776. It was made specifically to be sold at the American claims this to be the only one known and that no trace of the EC – Extra Card centennial. Hoch. U18a, Hoch. SX3. company has been found. Hoch. U17. P – Pamphlet 1,800/2,500 2,000/3,000 Potter & Potter Auctions - May 6-7, 2017 • 3 Public Auction #048 GAMBLING MEMORABILIA RARE PLAYING CARDS & COIN-OPERATED MACHINES FEATURING THE COLLECTION OF BOB & RHONDA HAWES INCLUDING POKER CHIPS, GAME COUNTERS & MARKERS, IVORY & MOTHER OF PEARL, CHEATING DEVICES, ETC. AUCTION SESSION 1 • Lots 1-633 Saturday, May 6 • 10:00 am CST SESSION 2 • Lots 634-1087 Sunday, May 7 • 10:00 am CST EXHIBITION May 3 - 5 • 10:00 am - 5:00 pm or by appointment INQUIRIES [email protected] phone: 773-472-1442 Potter & Potter Auctions, Inc. 3759 N. Ravenswood Ave. Suite 121 Chicago, IL 60613 PLAYING CARDS The first session of this sale is comprised in large part of the playing card and ephemera collection of Bob and Rhonda Hawes, of Hamden, Conn. The couple met in 1976, married two years later, and have jointly pursued their shared love of cards and card games ever since. Their introduction to collecting came in the early 1980s through Robert Kissel, a bridge- playing friend and student at Yale studying old European card games. Robert taught them gameplay of Tarock and Skat, and in 1986 encouraged the Haweses to attend their first playing card conference, held in nearby New Haven by the International Playing Card Society. Reluctantly, the Haweses agreed to go. The rest, so they say, is history. At the IPCS conference the Haweses met Gene Hochman, an authority on early American playing cards and author of The Encyclopedia of American Playing Cards. Through conversations with him, they were inspired to form a private collection and dedicated themselves to ferreting out 1 top material along the flea market and antique show circuits. They collected widely in books, advertising, postcards, trade cards, stamps, bridge tallies, and more, but eventually narrowed their focus to more specialized areas, most notably non-standard artistic decks, and particularly transformation decks. After more than two decades of active collecting, and following retirement from their previous careers, the couple decided to auction the material as they prepare for the next phase in life, including travel, new hobbies, and volunteer work. Of course, this phase will go on to include attendance at several annual playing card conferences, regular get- togethers with the many friends they’ve made along the way – and lots of games of cards. 2 NOTE: The following abbreviations are used throughout the catalog AMERICAN in descriptions of playing cards: Standard OB – Original Box 1. Continental Card Co. Centennial Deck. Philadelphia, ca. 2. J. Thoubboron “Non Pareil” Playing Cards. 28 Cedar Street, OW – Original Wrapper 1876. 52/52. Very good. The ace of spades tells the tale with the New York, ca. 1870. 52 + Partial Wrapper. Excellent. Hochman J – Joker date 1776. It was made specifically to be sold at the American claims this to be the only one known and that no trace of the EC – Extra Card centennial. Hoch. U18a, Hoch. SX3. company has been found. Hoch. U17. P – Pamphlet 1,800/2,500 2,000/3,000 Potter & Potter Auctions - May 6-7, 2017 • 3 3. Thomas Crehore “American Manufacture” Playing Cards. Dorchester, MA, ca. 1820. 52. Near mint. Early American manufacture with one way courts. Hoch. U5. 1,000/2,000 4. Samuel Hart & Co. Bezique Playing Cards. New York, ca. 1866. Four decks each with 32 cards and the multi colored and gold illuminated George and Martha Washington ace of spades. A pamphlet published by Samuel Hart with rules for the game of 7 Bezique and the bottom half of the Bezique game box is also part of the lot. The decks are near mint to mint. A spectacular piece. Hoch. NY32. 3,000/4,000 5. Samuel Hart & Co. Playing Cards. New York, ca. 1870. 52 + J. Excellent (joker very lightly browned). Unusual joker (best bower) reads “Consolidated Card Co., N.Y.” Very unusual backs. Hoch. NY39. 1,000/1,400 6. Congress Co. Faro Playing Cards. New York (?), ca. 1850. 52/52. Near mint. There has been a very light transfer of the back design to the faces but does not detract from this rare deck. One way courts indicate the deck was designed for use in the game of faro. The courts are very similar to the Hart courts and it is possible they were manufactured by that firm, who would 8 not want their name printed on the deck as it may have been 3 4 marked and used for cheating. Hoch. U15a. 600/800 7. The Union Playing Card Company Squared Faro Deck. New York, ca. 1880. 52. Near mint. Squared corners and one way courts. Hoch. L42. 600/800 8. Early American Patience Deck. Manufacturer unknown, ca. 1840. 52. Excellent. Ace of spades has an eagle and colorful stars and stripes inside the spade. One way courts, ace of spades and backs are unlike any known examples. 2 x 1 ¼”. Hoch. pg.22. 800/1,200 9. Eagle Card Co. “Heathen Chinee” Playing Cards. Middleton, Ohio, ca. 1877. 52 + J. Deck has been used and many cards have browning but no tears. 3D creased across the middle. The joker represents Bret Harte’s “Heathen Chinee” and the pips were registered in the U.S. Patent Office. The deck was meant to be used in the game of casino: 2S, little casino; 3S, don; 5S, pedro; 5 6 9S, sancho; 3H, don; 5H, pedro; 9H, sancho; 3C, don; 5C, pedro, 3D, don; 5D, pedro;9D, sancho; 10D, big casino. Hoch. L7. 1,000/1,500 9 4 • Gambling Memorabilia, Rare Playing Cards & Coin-Operated Machines Potter & Potter Auctions - May 6-7, 2017 • 5 10. Eagle Card Co. Playing Cards. Middleton, Ohio: Saml. Cupples & Co. (St. Louis), ca. 1867. 52 + J. The faces have light bleeding from the backs otherwise very good. Hoch. L5. 1,200/2,000 11. Victor E. Mauger Euchre Playing Cards. New York, ca. 1873. 32/32 + J. Excellent. A few cards have very light soiling. Ace of spades indicates the partnership between Chas. Goodall in London and Victor Mauger in New York as does the joker with a Goodall stamp along the bottom margin. Hoch. U19. 1,000/1,500 12. Union Playing Card Co. Eureka “Yankee’s Notion” Playing Cards. New York, ca. 1885. 52 + EC + OB. Excellent. The ace of spades is lacking the manufacturer’s name. Printed on very cheap stock and has steamboat snowflake back. Hoch. L48a. 1,000/1,500 13. The Reynolds Card Mfg Co. “Rough Back” Playing Cards. 14 10 New York, ca. 1888. 52 + J + partial box. Excellent. Box bears a patent date of 1888. Hoch. L37. 400/600 12 The pack is so similar to decks produced by Caterson & Brotz that it is probably safe to assume it was manufactured by them. The back of the box states: “These cards are roughened on the backs to cause an air space as well as to make resistance for the thumb in dealing, and thereby to prevent misdeals; and highly finished on the face to avoid too much resistance. They slide off one by one and do not become sticky in any weather and improve by use.” 14. National Card Co. “Steamboats” Playing Cards. Indianapolis & New York, ca. 1882. 52 + 2J + EC. Excellent. The deck comes in a Dougherty box for No.