Cards come arranged with ten across the top and ten across the bottom. All twenty show the card reverse of four US flags surrounding a patriotic shield and anchor. Above this in a sunburst is a five-pointed star with “US” at center and small triangles between the arms of the star. The rest of the card is taken up with geometric flowers. The art work is printed in blue ink on a white card.

Thirty-two cards are displayed with the faces showing including the ace of spades which is a wonderfully done spread-winged eagle perched on a doomed building within a wreath. In the eagles beak is the usual “E PLURIBUS UNUM” riband with another riband above the eagle that reads “AMERICAN CARD COMPANY.” Beneath the eagle’s perch is the small print copyright information with an 1862 date.

The faces of the cards have four suits, red stars, blue patriotic shields, red US flags and blue eagles. Face cards have a bearded General standing among a camp scene to represent a King, Columbia seated among shields, eagles and a Liberty cap for Queens and a decidedly cavalry looking General holding a lance in front of a cannon with his horse in the background for Jacks.

The center of the frame has a small gold inset frame that holds the original cardboard box the cards came in. The front of the box is the only part displayed and it has a seam across the center showing that the pack was opened by separating the upper and lower halves of the box. The box art shows a red Queen with the representation of Columbia as described above. Along the border of the box is printed “NATIONAL EMBLEMS!! SOMETHING NEW IN THE CARD WORLD!! TIME FOR A CHANG! FOREIGN EMBLEMS USED LONG ENOUGH IN THE US. NATIONALITY EVERYTHING!!. Artwork is all done in red ink.

Cards come mounted in a modern wooden frame that meas. approx. 29.00 x 26.00 inches. Frame shows some minor surface wear such as rubs to the finish and some edge tears to the paper backing on the reverse. The cards themselves are god to excellent. Some have more surface dirt than others but these are very few. Most are excellent. None are chipped or torn.

If you are going to have one deck of Civil War playing cards this is it. Nicely displayed in a Plexiglas frame with the scarce original box.  [ad]

Extra shipping required.  Not certain if this frame contains glass or plexiglass - leaning towards plexiglas. Click here for our policy on shipping framed items containing glass.

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