Deck Numbering

[The London magician]

Hello everyone,

Now, I know a little about how it works, but does anyone know the nuts and bolts of numbering on playing cards (808 for instance). I did a bit of research on the bicycle website, and to me it looks like the numbers were just chosen in order (starting with the 'tiger' brand at 101).But what do they mean and are they a useful thing to have on custom decks? I think LPCC use the number system.

Thanks, 

[ecNate]

Pretty much that, it means nothing.  It's just a catchy number used to differentiate it from the others.  The number seen on some joker cards from Bicycle is often on a mile marker stone.

http://www.bicyclecards.com/article/the-meaning-of-808/

[The London magician]

Is there a history to the custom?

[Don Boyer]

Is there a history to the custom?

USPC has a history of doing this from the beginning.  It's all just model numbers, for tracking different types of cards.  They have separate numbers for the different card backs they've used.

In this post on Sprouts1115's deck project for making a 64-card deck with four suited jokers, I gave him a list of numbers currently or at least recently in use by USPC - there are many others in their history.  Here I've updated it with a few recently-used additions, some of which may no longer be in print.

7 - Streamline jumbo index
9 - Tally Ho (both backs)
11 - Streamline
21 - Streamline pinochle
44 - Bicycle Rider Back pinochle jumbo index
48 - Bicycle Rider Back pinochle
77 - Bee jumbo index
68 - Bee bridge sized (old number, no longer in use)
86 - Bicycle Rider Back bridge-sized
88 - Bicycle Rider Back jumbo index
88F - Bicycle Rider Back jumbo index Braille
92 - Bee (named after the year of initial release, 1892) (also used for modern bridge-sized decks)
125 - Bicycle Rider Back "EZ See Lo-Vision"
606 - Congress (all backs, standard index, bridge-sized)
807 - Bicycle Rider Back in "classic" box (AoS still labeled 808)
808 - Bicycle Rider Back in new "Standard" box
809 - Bicycle Mandolin Back
813 - Bicycle Maiden Back
914 - Aviator
917 - Aviator jumbo index
918 - Aviator pinochle
999 - Steamboat
1201 - Hoyle
1202 - Hoyle jumbo index
1205 - Maverick
1206 - Maverick jumbo index
1211 - Hoyle pinochle

Tigers were indeed 101, and there were the Army and Navy decks, which were number 303.  I know there's more out there.

On occasion, a manufacturer will chose a number for a specific reason.  For example, the original Legends release was numbered 852 (if memory serves) because it's the area code for Hong Kong, the city where the company is based.  And as mentioned above, the model number for Bee playing cards was the last two digits of the year it was released.

[variantventures]

In the 15th Century some makers began putting the year the deck was produced, and sometimes the location the deck was produced at, on some of their cards.

[The London magician]

thank you very much for the info. If I design a deck (as I hope to!), I will give it some meaningful numbers...

thanks again!

[Don Boyer]

thank you very much for the info. If I design a deck (as I hope to!), I will give it some meaningful numbers...

thanks again!

It's not really necessary, especially if you only release a few decks an not an entire inventory of models.  Numbers were used to reduce confusion for retailers placing orders with the wholesalers for the merchandise.  For example, the gilded version of a deck would usually have a different number from the non-gilded version, so instead of ordering the deck by name and running the risk of having ordered the wrong version, the numbers, being different, eliminated any confusion.  Back designs also got numbered for the same reasons - there were probably a few design names that were similar to other back designs, so again, numbers assigned to them allowed more precise ordering.

If you're only offering a few different decks at most, model numbers are entirely unnecessary.  You could do it to look like a throw-back, to give your design a old-timey sound, but that works best only if your design is meant to hearken back to such classic designs of the past.  Otherwise, just be modern and name your items, period.

Legends brand playing cards are indeed numbered - but that has a lot to do not just with wanting to sound old-timey, but that there are multiple decks now with the Legends name.  The numbers are alternate ways of accurately identifying which decks you're looking for.

[The London magician]

Oh right, so the numbers are mainly for wholesalers.

I still think it would be nice to have some numbers, even on a modern deck. Imagine the tuck box of say the republic no.2s or Madison rounders with just a simple 3 digit number. I think it would look nice... but everyone has their own opinions.

Thanks for the info,

[Don Boyer]

Oh right, so the numbers are mainly for wholesalers.

I still think it would be nice to have some numbers, even on a modern deck. Imagine the tuck box of say the republic no.2s or Madison rounders with just a simple 3 digit number. I think it would look nice... but everyone has their own opinions.

Thanks for the info,

Republic No. 2 was Republic No. 2 because there was a Republic No. 1 - Sultan Republic!

You can "decorate" your title with numbers if you want, but consider that people will ask you, "What's the number mean, anyway?"  It's going to happen, I can practically guarantee it - just as you were asking about numbers in this very topic!  Better to have an answer prepared in advance than doing the digital equivalent of scratching your head and putting a puzzled look on your face... 

[The London magician]

Whoops! I wasn't clear enough!

I know that the Republic no.2s are called that because they're a series: just like NOC v1, v2 and v3. I was just referring to the minimalist tuck case.

Also, didn't you say that LPCC used the area number as their digits. To me, that seems like a good enough reason. Again, everyone has their own opinions.

Thanks,

[sprouts1115]

Is there a history to the custom?

USPC has a history of doing this from the beginning.  It's all just model numbers, for tracking different types of cards.  They have separate numbers for the different card backs they've used.

In this post on Sprouts1115's deck project for making a 64-card deck with four suited jokers, I gave him a list of numbers currently or at least recently in use by USPC - there are many others in their history.  Here I've updated it with a few recently-used additions, some of which may no longer be in print.

7 - Streamline jumbo index
9 - Tally Ho (both backs)
11 - Streamline
21 - Streamline pinochle
44 - Bicycle Rider Back pinochle jumbo index
48 - Bicycle Rider Back pinochle
77 - Bee jumbo index
68 - Bee bridge sized (old number, no longer in use)
86 - Bicycle Rider Back bridge-sized
88 - Bicycle Rider Back jumbo index
88F - Bicycle Rider Back jumbo index Braille
92 - Bee (named after the year of initial release, 1892) (also used for modern bridge-sized decks)
125 - Bicycle Rider Back "EZ See Lo-Vision"
606 - Congress (all backs, standard index, bridge-sized)
807 - Bicycle Rider Back in "classic" box (AoS still labeled 808)
808 - Bicycle Rider Back in new "Standard" box
809 - Bicycle Mandolin Back
813 - Bicycle Maiden Back
914 - Aviator
917 - Aviator jumbo index
918 - Aviator pinochle
999 - Steamboat
1201 - Hoyle
1202 - Hoyle jumbo index
1205 - Maverick
1206 - Maverick jumbo index
1211 - Hoyle pinochle

Tigers were indeed 101, and there were the Army and Navy decks, which were number 303.  I know there's more out there.

On occasion, a manufacturer will chose a number for a specific reason.  For example, the original Legends release was numbered 852 (if memory serves) because it's the area code for Hong Kong, the city where the company is based.  And as mentioned above, the model number for Bee playing cards was the last two digits of the year it was released.

Don - I forgot to thank you for that post.  I settled on 80T.  Meaning, same as (A) = 1, (T) = 10.  The ten card is the only card to have 2 symbols for the rank of the card. "1" and "0".  And for some reason they have a hard time centering it below the suit index...

[Don Boyer]

Whoops! I wasn't clear enough!

I know that the Republic no.2s are called that because they're a series: just like NOC v1, v2 and v3. I was just referring to the minimalist tuck case.

Also, didn't you say that LPCC used the area number as their digits. To me, that seems like a good enough reason. Again, everyone has their own opinions.

Thanks,

LPCC numbered their first Legends brand deck after the area code of Hong Kong.  They also have an Legends Egyptian deck numbered 202 and two other designs that are unnumbered: Legends Hipster Edition and Legends Day of the Dead.