(Ln(x))3

The everyday blog of Richard Bartle.

RSS feeds: v0.91; v1.0 (RDF); v2.0; Atom.

Previous entry.


8:16am on Sunday, 4th October, 2026:

Grimaud

Anecdote

I bought some more playing cards.



These were very cheap — under a tenner — but they're over a hundred years old. They were made by B. P. Grimaud of Paris, a manufacturer I like because of some sumptuous decks they put out in their heyday.

This, as you can see, is not a sumptuous deck. It's a standard English pattern, and is patience-sized. It looks fairly modern, but the tax stamp on the Ace of Clubs was only in use 1890-1917 and 1922-1940. This particular design of the Ace of Spades was brought in at around 1915, as was the Jolly Joker; furthermore, the joker was very soon replaced by one without the frame. We're probably looking at 1915, then, but let's say 1915-1917 to be safe.

I'm not really interested in any of the cards except for the Ace of Spades and the Joker, both of which are very unusual. My guess is that no-one else is, either, which is why I could buy it for £9.48.




Latest entries.

Archived entries.

About this blog.

Copyright © 2026 Richard Bartle (richard@mud.co.uk).