Civil War cards

[Poor Private]

Re: Camp Life

Thank you Kevin this is the kind of info I lookin for and thats the kind of events that are here in my area. So I was trying to fill the down time. Unfortunatly there are not any of the imersion events in this area .

[Poor Private]

Re: Camp Life

And I apologise for not signing the post
Cris Westphal
1st Mich

[GermanDraftee]

Re: Playing Cards

Going back to the original image, the hanwritten inscription at the top appears to include a date that looks like March (?) 1865. (It was fun enlarging the photo and holding a mirror up to the computer screen.)

John Thielmann

[Eric Wisbith]

Civil War cards

Quick and easy. Did CW era cards have jokers?

[DJCasey]

Re: Civil War cards

I found this on the site of the United States Playing Card Company website and have found other sources backing up the idea that they came to be just after the war.

"Americans also invented the Joker. It originated around 1870 and was inscribed as the "Best Bower," the highest card in the game of Euchre. Since the game was sometimes called "Juker," it is thought that the Best Bower card might have been referred to as the "Juker card" which eventually evolved into "Joker." By the 1880s, certainly, the card had come to depict a jocular imp, jester or clown. Many other images were also used, especially as Jokers became vehicles for social satire and commercial advertising."

I know Euchre was popular among soldiers during the war, perhaps the need came from them? Anyone know of people making there own "Best Bower" card for Euchre?

[YoungCampaigner]

Re: Civil War cards

Hello All. Can anyone tell me how old the game of blackjack is? I have played it at events before with my pards but I am not sure wether it is authentic. I do know for a fact that the game originated in the 1700's in France but I don't know if it had made it here by the 1860's. Thanks.

[Custerboy]

Re: Playing Cards

Kind of off the subject of the photo, but what programs do people use to zoom in like that? I would love to be able to do that on my own. And maybe find something worth contributing!

Internet Explorer 7, lower RH corner of screen. Default is set at 100%; click the arrow, enjoy.:)

[KATE1880]

Re: Civil War cards

Hey Guys, well I've really enjoyed reading this post and getting info on card games to play, but my question is more regarding the cards themselves.
I've heard differing opinions and was hoping someone on here would know a good answer.

On the subject of authentic looking playing cards -- were there ever cards with women on them? The earliest I can find penny cards with women was 1880. Anyone ever seen them in our era?

[Rob Weaver]

Re: Civil War cards

Hello All. Can anyone tell me how old the game of blackjack is? I have played it at events before with my pards but I am not sure wether it is authentic. I do know for a fact that the game originated in the 1700's in France but I don't know if it had made it here by the 1860's. Thanks.

Blackjack was played, often under its French name "viente-un," "Twenty-One." It may have had minor differences to the rules (I'm not sure if the five-cards-but-still-under-21 hand was played at the time.) Still, it is a period game, playable by those familiar with the modern species.

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: Civil War cards

Hello All. Can anyone tell me how old the game of blackjack is? I have played it at events before with my pards but I am not sure wether it is authentic. I do know for a fact that the game originated in the 1700's in France but I don't know if it had made it here by the 1860's. Thanks.

I checked several Hoyle's that I have and the rules for Vingt-Un (Blackjack or Twenty-one) was in them. In the 1857 edition of Hoyle's Games (American edition) there were two pages devoted to the game. In the 1864 edition of The American Hoyle there were 4 pages devoted to the game. I particularly like the first sentence. "For a little gentle gambling - say for trifling stakes of a dime or ten thousand dollars - there is no more easily acquired game than Vingt-un; certainly few more amusing."

Twenty-one could also be played with dice according to the 1864 Hoyles.

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: Civil War cards

On the subject of authentic looking playing cards -- were there ever cards with women on them? The earliest I can find penny cards with women was 1880. Anyone ever seen them in our era?

I'm not sure if you are talking about decks of cards or speciality card decks.

In a copy of The History of Playing Cards (1865) there were several illustrations of women (other than the queen) in decks of cards but they were all from a much earlier time period.

I have reproduction decks of cards with Union and Confederate generals on them and even one deck with flowers on them. I haven't done enough research to know if there are entire decks of cards that have women on them.

There are speciality card decks for games that have some women on the cards, such as Dr. Busby, Single Blessedness (similar to Old Maid), Old Maid, and there may be others but off hand I can't think of the names of the games.