Print, playing-card (BM 1982,U.4639.1-52 25)

Complete pack of 52 playing-cards bound (at the British Museum) as a small book, plus the wrapper. The wrapper is printed in red on a buff-coloured ground and explains the intent of this series as follows, "The American Card Co., confident that the introduction of National Emblems in the place of Foreign, in Playing Cards, will be hailed with delight by the American People, take pleasure in presenting the Union Playing Cards as the first and only Genuine American Cards ever produced, in the fullest confidence that the time is not far distant when they will be the leading card in the American market. Explanations - The Union Cards are calculated to play all the Games for which the old style of Playing Cards are used. The suits are Eagles, Shields, Stars and Flags. Goddess of Liberty in place of Queen, Colonel for King, Major for Jack. In playing with these Cards they are to be called by the names the emblems represent, and as the Emblems are as familiar as household words everywhere among the American people, they can be used as readily the first occasion as Cards bearing Foreign Emblems." Also on the wrapper is a representation of the Goddess of Liberty surrounded by the following statements, "Nationality Everything!! National Emblems!! Something new in the card world! Time for a change! Foreign emblems used long enough in the U.S." and "Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1862, by Benj. W. Hitchcock, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York." The ace of eagles has a scroll above with "American Card Company" and below "14 Chambers St. & 165 William St., New York.

Lithograph printed in blue and hand-coloured
Backs printed in blue with a design made up of shields, banners, anchors, oak leaves, stars, stripes, etc.

1862