From Austria’s ace producer of games

The Maker

Born in Hungary, Ferdinand Piatnik bought the card company of Anton Moser in 1843, transforming it into one of the most successful manufacturers in the world. Between 1843 and 1882, the firm operated under the name ‘Ferdinand Piatnik vormals [‘formerly’] Anton Moser’, and from 1882 onwards became ‘Ferdinand Piatnik & Söhne’. The company continues today as Austria’s largest producer of games.

The Cards

The present deck of cards celebrates the cities of central Europe, one of which is shown on each Ace card:

Clubs – Budapest

Diamonds – Prague

Hearts – Vienna

Spades – Milan

The two vignettes on the Ace of Clubs are labelled ‘Pest’ and ‘Ofen’, the latter being the German name for Buda, where Piatnik himself was born. The lower image shows the chain bridge constructed in the city in 1849, providing an ante post quem for the deck.

The double-figure court cards show the royal characters sumptuously dressed, with the suit marks in the upper left- and lower right-hand corners.

THOMAS, A.

[Exposition Universelle playing cards].

Publication [France, c1855].

Description

52 engraved cards with fine original handcolour, pink verso.

Dimensions

89 by 57mm (3.5 by 2.25 inches).

References

Van den Bergh p.70.