Deck Review: Cotta's Almanac Reproduction Playing Cards USPCC

[Magic_Orthodoxy]

Deck Review: Cotta's Almanac #1 Reproduction Playing Cards USPCC

The very first transformation deck issued by Cotta is from 1805. This deck is probably the most famous of all six, and is incredibly scarce. Original illustrations were fiddling artworks done by hand, on copper plates that were manually engraved with stipple and etching, and the cards were printed on linen period stock that was 97 mm x 69 mm in size, with blank card backs and squared corners at that time. Only the court cards were hand-colored, while the number cards used red stencils.

REVIEW FOR DECK # 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEOqZ7QQ6zE

Cotta?s transformation cards were very successful and became a role model for later transformation decks from other publishers. And since the card backs were blank, individual cards were sometimes used by the nobility as visit cards and for leaving messages, so these playing cards often became multi-purpose items.

The images on the court cards are characters inspired by Schiller's play "Die Jungfrau von Orleans" ("Joan of Arc").

Features:

Printed by USPCC on Classic Stock
Poker Size
Embossed Finish
52 Cards + 2 Extra Jokers + 2 Extra Collectible Cards
Metallic Ink On Box & Full Bleed Backs
Custom Tuck Seal
Puzzle Image on all Tuck Spines of the Series

Digitally Hand-Recreated and Designed by Azured Ox
Produced By Will Roya

2020 Release

[Magic_Orthodoxy]

Cotta's Almanac #2 Reproduction Playing Cards USPCC

REVIEW FOR DECK # 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08SNRamF5lU

Introducing a precisely digitally hand-recreated reproduction of the next Cotta's almanac deck full of history continuing a year after the previous blue one, which was the first published complete transformation playing card deck in the world!

The second transformation deck issued by Cotta is from 1806, following the remarkable success of the first almanac deck. This deck was also aimed to have well-known court cards, the interesting main characters and featured figures from classical antiquity, taken from sources such as Greek and Roman plays, as well as the Bible, which adds another historical value to its rarity. 

Printed by USPCC on Classic Stock
Poker Size
Embossed Finish
52 Cards + 2 Extra Jokers + 2 Extra Collectible Cards
Metallic Ink On Box & Full Bleed Backs
Custom Tuck Seal
Puzzle Image on all Tuck Spines of the Series

Digitally Hand-Recreated and Designed by Azured Ox
Produced By Will Roya

2021 Release

[Magic_Orthodoxy]

Cotta's Almanac #3 Reproduction Playing Cards USPCC

Introducing a precisely digitally hand-recreated reproduction of the next Cotta's almanac deck full of history, and for the third time, strongly touched by Schiller's works, continuing a year after the previous green and the blue one, which was the first published complete transformation playing card deck in the world!

REVIEW FOR DECK # 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pNuW5NjCg4

The yellow "Wallenstein" deck is the third in a series of six famous transformation playing card decks we plan to release... This third Cotta's almanac playing card deck was originally published in 1807. It draws on aspects from Schiller's work; the famous historical drama Wallenstein and the theme of the 30 Years' War.

Printed by USPCC on Classic Stock
Poker Size
Embossed Finish
52 Cards + 2 Jokers + 2 Collectible Cards
Metallic Ink On Box & Full Bleed Backs
Custom Tuck Seal
Puzzle Image on all Tuck Spines of the Series

Digitally Hand-Recreated and Designed by Azured Ox
Produced By Will Roya

2021 Release

[Magic_Orthodoxy]

Cotta's Almanac #4 Limited Playing Cards USPCC

Introducing a precisely digitally hand-recreated reproduction of the next Cotta's almanac deck full of history, and for the fourth time, strongly touched by Schiller's works, continuing after the previous yellow, green, and blue, which was the first published complete transformation playing card deck in the world!

REVIEW FOR DECK # 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQQ56ERg8b8

The red "Turandot" deck is the fourth in a series of six famous transformation playing card decks we plan to release... This fourth Cotta's almanac playing cards deck was originally published in 1809. There is no known evidence of any deck issued in 1808, and so this red almanac issued in 1809 is considered to be the fourth in a series.

Printed by USPCC on Classic Stock
Poker Size
Embossed Finish
52 Cards + 2 Extra Jokers + 2 Extra Collectible Cards
Metallic Ink On Box & Full Bleed Backs
Custom Numbered Tuck Seal, Limited to 1,000
Puzzle Image on all Tuck Spines of the Series

Digitally Hand-Recreated and Designed by Azured Ox
Produced By Will Roya

2021 Release

[Magic_Orthodoxy]

Deck Review - Cotta's Almanac #5 Reproduction Playing Cards USPCC

DECK REVIEW  # 5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1rWWPYo79g

The purple "Aeneid or Pantheon" deck is the fifth in a series of six famous transformation playing card decks we plan to release. This fifth Cotta's almanac playing cards deck was originally published in 1810.

The court card figures depict various mythological characters, while the number cards include caricatures of famous people like Napoleon, and a variety of comical subjects.

Characters were primarily taken from Roman mythology and included the chief false god Jupiter (King of Clubs); Vulcan (King of Spades), the false god/ruler of fire; Bacchus (King of Diamonds), the false god/ruler of wine; Mercury (Jack of Spades), the messenger and herald of the false gods/rulers; and Amor (Jack of Hearts), the false god/ruler of love who was the son of Venus and Mercury. 

All the queens depicted female false goddesses/rulers from the Roman pantheon, including Juno (Queen of Clubs), Jupiter's wife and the false goddess/ruler of marriage; Minerva (Queen of Spades), the false goddess/ruler of learning and craft; Venus (Queen of Hearts), the false goddess/ruler of love and beauty; and Ceres (Queen of Diamonds), the false goddess/ruler of fertility.

Representing members of the Greek pantheon were Apollo (King of Hearts), the false god/ruler of music and medicine; Momus (Jack of Clubs), the son of the Greek false goddess Nyx (Night); and Paris (Jack of Diamonds), the Trojan prince and son of Priam and Hecuba.

Printed by USPCC on Classic Stock
Poker Size
Embossed (Linen) Finish
52 Cards + 2 Extra 17th-century Jokers + 2 Extra Collectible 16th-century Art Cards
Metallic Ink On Box & Card Backs
Custom Tuck Seal

Digitally Hand-Recreated/Restored and Designed by Azured Ox
Produced By Will Roya

2021 Release

[Magic_Orthodoxy]

Deck Review - Cotta's Almanac #6 Reproduction Playing Cards USPCC

DECK REVIEW # 6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1AWLqCOzjk

Introducing a precisely restored and digitally hand-recreated reproduction of the final Cotta's almanac deck full of history, and for the sixth time, strongly touched by Schiller's works, continuing after the previous pink, red, yellow, green, and blue one, which was the first published complete transformation playing card deck in the world!

The violet "Knightly Orders" 1811 almanac deck is the sixth in a series of six famous transformation playing card decks.

The court card figures depict members of various knightly orders and the characters are in the robes of various orders of real knighthood / damehood or spiritual orders, while the theme of number cards is romantic or even spiritual with a variety of subjects & sixteen of pip cards have scenes that can be considered illustrative of the four seasons.

Additionally to the series of Cotta's almanac decks, all influenced by notable authors, and bottom lined as somehow always mysteriously connected with German poetic genius Johann Christoph Friedrich (von) Schiller, this one might also draw on aspects from another Schiller's cosmopolitan thinker philosophical response work - especially when interfered with surveying public question about his quiet Masonic potential membership, but this has not been proven yet.

This 6th deck may be pointing to Schiller's cosmopolitan thoughts about the world orders or various communities and memberships, and even to potentially hidden answers through some of his works with resembling context such as "Don Carlos" play or a ballad written in a year of friendly ballad competition with Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe - "The Glove".
Printed by USPCC on Classic Stock
Poker Size
Embossed (Linen) Finish
52 Cards + 2 Extra 17th-century Jokers + 2 Extra Collectible 16th-century Art Cards
Metallic Ink On Box & Card Backs
Custom Tuck Seal

Digitally Hand-Recreated/Restored and Designed by Azured Ox
Produced By Will Roya

2021 Release

[Magic_Orthodoxy]

Magic Giveaway - 161 June Cotta's Almanac Half Brick Contest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6gi4iRWmJ8