Alta Carta Playing Cards: Glossary

Alta Carta

The Alternative for the
Playing Card Collector

Goal Contact Who Is

Research Overview Collecting

Trade Statistics FAQ

Glossary

Used Abbreviations
Expressions
Single / Double Faced
Tax Stamp (rubber stamp)
Tax Stamp (seal)

Used Abbreviations

Abbreviation Meaning
A Ace

D Deuce

J Jack, Knave, Page, Fante (Italy), Maid

K King

O Ober

Q Queen

R Rider, Knight, Horse

U Unter, Under (Switzerland)

Expressions

Expression Meaning
Ace This playing card used to have the value 1. This is the reason many card decks start the run with a 2.

Arcana A group of cards in tarot. The major arcana are the trump cards 1 to 21 plus "the fool". The minor arcana are all other cards (court cards and pips).

Card Tax Most countries used to tax playing cards.

Comodín Spanish term for Joker

Court Cards King, Queen, Jack, Knight, etc. Contrast: Pips

Deuce Ace of the card games with German and Swiss suits. The deuce developed (unlike the ace) from the card 2. That is the reason you usually find two suit symbols on the deuce. This word originates from French "deux" (two). Contrast: Court Cards

Double Faced Playing cards on which the picture is double. That means you see the same if you turn the card by 180°. This was done to make playing easier, because the cards must not be rotated first to see what it is. Also your opponent will not get a clue about your hand.

Face Cards American expression for --> Court Cards

Index Identification of the cards at the corners. Some cards have no indices, there are some with two (top left, and bottom right) and other with four (all four corners). Such an index always consists of the value (e.g. "K", "Q", "10", "4"), mostly as abbreviation. Usually included is also the symbol of the suit.

Jass Popular card game, mainly played in Switzerland. For this reason cards with Swiss suits are often call Jass cards.

Pattern,
Card Pattern Especially standard cards and regional tarots have characteristic presentations usually on the court cards, that are (or were) typical for a certain region and that were made by several manufacturers with only little variation.

Pips Cards with the values 2 trough 10, sometimes also 1, 11, 12, 13

Single Faced Playing cards where the picture is printed once. If you turn such a card the picture is upside down.

Standard Game, Standard Pattern Card patterns that are typical for a certain region and that are offered by various manufacturers.

Tax Stamp (Rubber Stamp) As proof that the card tax was paid, one card (per deck) was physically stamped with a rubber stamp.

Tax Stamp (Seal) In some countries (e.g. USA, Japan) the box or wrapper was sealed with a special stamp to indicate that the card tax was paid. In Italy tax stamps were used when the tax was increased but the cards already had a tax rubber stamp with the old value.

Single / Double Faced
To illustrate the term double and single faced I included a few Examples. Usually the single faced patterns are older and the double faced are a development so playing is easier. There are also exceptions like the Castilian pattern where the double faced cards were not accepted by the players.
For some pattern it has not been such a long time since the single faced cards were replaced. Therefore the collector has a good chance in getting one for a reasonable price.

Anglo-American Pattern Swiss Pattern

Saxony Pattern Bavarian Pattern

Piacenza Pattern Castilian Pattern

Tax Stamp (rubber stamp)
Nowadays it seems quite odd that in earlier years there was a tax on playing cards. But for the collector this opens a new field of interest. Also such games can be dated much easier.

Left: Tax Stamp of the German Empire
Middle: Austrian Tax Stamp
Right: In Switzerland the card tax was raised by the Cantons and not the federation. Example of the Canton St. Gallen

Left: Date- and Tax Stamp of the Kingdom Italy
Middle: Spanish Stamp "Timbre Sobre Naipes, Cinco Pesetas"
Right: Tax Stamp of the Republic Argentina

Tax Stamp (seal)
Tax stamps (seals) had the same function as the rubber stamps. They were on the box or wrapper and additionally used as seal.

Left: Tax stamp from Japan
Middle: Tax stamp from Italy (Marca da Bollo)
Right: US-American Tax stamp that sealed the packing

back

Abbreviation	Meaning
A	Ace
D	Deuce
J	Jack, Knave, Page, Fante (Italy), Maid
K	King
O	Ober
Q	Queen
R	Rider, Knight, Horse
U	Unter, Under (Switzerland)

Expression	Meaning
Ace	This playing card used to have the value 1. This is the reason many card decks start the run with a 2.
Arcana	A group of cards in tarot. The major arcana are the trump cards 1 to 21 plus "the fool". The minor arcana are all other cards (court cards and pips).
Card Tax	Most countries used to tax playing cards.
Comodín	Spanish term for Joker
Court Cards	King, Queen, Jack, Knight, etc. Contrast: Pips
Deuce	Ace of the card games with German and Swiss suits. The deuce developed (unlike the ace) from the card 2. That is the reason you usually find two suit symbols on the deuce. This word originates from French "deux" (two). Contrast: Court Cards
Double Faced	Playing cards on which the picture is double. That means you see the same if you turn the card by 180°. This was done to make playing easier, because the cards must not be rotated first to see what it is. Also your opponent will not get a clue about your hand.
Face Cards	American expression for --> Court Cards
Index	Identification of the cards at the corners. Some cards have no indices, there are some with two (top left, and bottom right) and other with four (all four corners). Such an index always consists of the value (e.g. "K", "Q", "10", "4"), mostly as abbreviation. Usually included is also the symbol of the suit.
Jass	Popular card game, mainly played in Switzerland. For this reason cards with Swiss suits are often call Jass cards.
Pattern, Card Pattern	Especially standard cards and regional tarots have characteristic presentations usually on the court cards, that are (or were) typical for a certain region and that were made by several manufacturers with only little variation.
Pips	Cards with the values 2 trough 10, sometimes also 1, 11, 12, 13
Single Faced	Playing cards where the picture is printed once. If you turn such a card the picture is upside down.
Standard Game, Standard Pattern	Card patterns that are typical for a certain region and that are offered by various manufacturers.
Tax Stamp (Rubber Stamp)	As proof that the card tax was paid, one card (per deck) was physically stamped with a rubber stamp.
Tax Stamp (Seal)	In some countries (e.g. USA, Japan) the box or wrapper was sealed with a special stamp to indicate that the card tax was paid. In Italy tax stamps were used when the tax was increased but the cards already had a tax rubber stamp with the old value.