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The Alternative for the Playing Card Collector

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Normally only the index (suit symbol and rank) on the picture side reminds that these are playing cards at all. Without this identification we could talk about trading cards. On all cards - depending on the game 32, 36, 40, 52, 55 or another number - is a photograph, a drawing, or any other image. The difference to the non standard cards is that the single pictures have nothing to do with the rank of the card. In the non standard decks the king is a king even if it is Mickey Mouse and the pips mostly remain unchanged. The most common motives are places, as souvenirs, just to remember and these cards are usually sold to tourists. The contents can be practically anything like art of a museum, characters from movies or nude beauties. The most famous example of souvenir cards is the set "55 Most Wanted", that the American army distributed to their soldiers in Iraq to recognise the wanted persons of the defeated regime. Left Example: View of the Canary Islands; right: model trains The cards "55 Most Wanted"; not for all wanted people a picture was available. The card on the right hand side belongs - according my definition - also to a souvenir game, even though it shows rather an illusion picture.

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