I first came across this often repeated statement on the internet;
DOUBLE-ENDING: said to have been introduced to avoid giving away the presence of court cards in one's hand. This meant turning the figures of the six courts with right-hand pips:
Queen of Spades
Queen of Clubs
Queen of Diamonds
Jack of Hearts
Jack of Clubs
Jack of Diamonds.
In most cases, it also meant redrawing these courts (or all of them), rather than just reversing the relevant plates (which was probably impossible).
The other method, of altering the design to fit the pips in, was employed in one of the courts by the revived (English companies) Hunt & Sons and Bancks, though the rest were just turned. In each case the Queen of Spades has not been turned, but her sceptre has been reduced in size to keep it out of the way of her pip. The clothing and posture of all the queens has been considerably revised.
Not true. I discovered there are three basic ways these above mentioned court cards are turned. I call the alignments “East Coast”, “Western” and “R&M”.
DOUBLE-ENDING: said to have been introduced to avoid giving away the presence of court cards in one's hand. This meant turning the figures of the six courts with right-hand pips:
Queen of Spades
Queen of Clubs
Queen of Diamonds
Jack of Hearts
Jack of Clubs
Jack of Diamonds.
In most cases, it also meant redrawing these courts (or all of them), rather than just reversing the relevant plates (which was probably impossible).
The other method, of altering the design to fit the pips in, was employed in one of the courts by the revived (English companies) Hunt & Sons and Bancks, though the rest were just turned. In each case the Queen of Spades has not been turned, but her sceptre has been reduced in size to keep it out of the way of her pip. The clothing and posture of all the queens has been considerably revised.
Not true. I discovered there are three basic ways these above mentioned court cards are turned. I call the alignments “East Coast”, “Western” and “R&M”.
PATTERNS
Half of the court cards have their pips in the lefthand corner.
These cards always face to your left......
The King of Clubs, Diamonds and Hearts and the Queen of Hearts.
Half of the court cards have their pips in the lefthand corner.
These cards always face to your left......
The King of Clubs, Diamonds and Hearts and the Queen of Hearts.
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And the King of Spades and the Jack of Spades always face to your right.....
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Of course, a couple of exceptions have occurred.
They are the North American Card Company of Chicago and the Excelsior Playing Card Company of New York City flipped their King of Clubs to look to the right.
Huestis & Levy flipped their King of Hearts and put the pip in the right hand corner.
Russell Playing Cards flipped their Jack of Spades and look to the right.
Margaret F. Milward and Andrew Dougherty’s Triplicate decks have a flipped Queen of Hearts and they placed the pip in the right hand corner.
The other six court cards are turned like this by the different makers.
These facings will help you locate where you cards were made;
East Coast Western R & M
Jack of Clubs Left Right Right
Jack of Diamonds Right Left Right (1883-1894)
Jack of Hearts Right Left Left
Queen of Clubs Right Left Left
Queen of Diamonds Right Left Left
Queen of Spades Left Right Right
For these cards,,,,,
THE EAST COAST PATTERN (Started in the 1850s)
These six court card pips appear in the RIGHTHAND CORNER, so half of the court pips appear opposite of the others.
This pattern was apparently started in the United States by Andrew Dougherty and was also being used by the English card maker De La Rue at the same time. Even the court design is a match to De La Rue's.
They are the North American Card Company of Chicago and the Excelsior Playing Card Company of New York City flipped their King of Clubs to look to the right.
Huestis & Levy flipped their King of Hearts and put the pip in the right hand corner.
Russell Playing Cards flipped their Jack of Spades and look to the right.
Margaret F. Milward and Andrew Dougherty’s Triplicate decks have a flipped Queen of Hearts and they placed the pip in the right hand corner.
The other six court cards are turned like this by the different makers.
These facings will help you locate where you cards were made;
East Coast Western R & M
Jack of Clubs Left Right Right
Jack of Diamonds Right Left Right (1883-1894)
Jack of Hearts Right Left Left
Queen of Clubs Right Left Left
Queen of Diamonds Right Left Left
Queen of Spades Left Right Right
For these cards,,,,,
THE EAST COAST PATTERN (Started in the 1850s)
These six court card pips appear in the RIGHTHAND CORNER, so half of the court pips appear opposite of the others.
This pattern was apparently started in the United States by Andrew Dougherty and was also being used by the English card maker De La Rue at the same time. Even the court design is a match to De La Rue's.
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THE WESTERN PATTERN (1876 Victor E Mauger)
These six court card pips appear in the LEFTHAND CORNER making all the court card pips in the left hand corner.
This was also a pattern being used by the English makers De La Rue and Goodall in the 1860s, The first appearance I have found in the United States was by Victor E. Mauger in 1876 when he started the American Playing Card in New York City, This was right after he had ended his business association with Goodall. He would then take the design west to Cincinnati, Ohio, and Russell & Morgan.
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R & M PATTERNS
Russell and Morgan changed patterns as they grew to USPC.
Their first was what I call the Western pattern. Was this because of Victor E. Mauger's influence by Goodall in their card making?
Then about 1883 they created their own version and flipped the Jack of Diamonds to face to our right until around 1894.
Between about 1894 and 1897 they flipped the Jack of Diamonds back to the left like a normal Western pattern. This was brought about because of Russell & Morgan becoming the United States Playing Card Company on July 2, 1894.
But, after 1897 they reverted to the East Coast pattern for their court cards.
During all these changes the maker's mark on the hilt of the King of Hearts sword would also change.
R & M PATTERNS
Russell and Morgan changed patterns as they grew to USPC.
Their first was what I call the Western pattern. Was this because of Victor E. Mauger's influence by Goodall in their card making?
Then about 1883 they created their own version and flipped the Jack of Diamonds to face to our right until around 1894.
Between about 1894 and 1897 they flipped the Jack of Diamonds back to the left like a normal Western pattern. This was brought about because of Russell & Morgan becoming the United States Playing Card Company on July 2, 1894.
But, after 1897 they reverted to the East Coast pattern for their court cards.
During all these changes the maker's mark on the hilt of the King of Hearts sword would also change.
So, two easy things to remember. If all the pips are in the same corner (left hand) they were from a Western maker. Or, if the Queen of Diamonds faces left it is a Western maker, or right it is from an East Coast maker.
