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Playing Card Chat ♠ ♥ ♣ ♦ => A Cellar of Fine Vintages => Topic started by: Chuqii on October 12, 2016, 05:37:11 PM

Title: Aristocrat ace change from Russel to US Playing Card Co
Post by: Chuqii on October 12, 2016, 05:37:11 PM

So, I was looking at some old Aristocrat decks that are both 1 pack tax stamped, and I noticed they were consecutive years - 1941 (C) and 1942 (D).  Then I noticed the 1941 had Russell Playing Card Co on the Ace of Spades, and the 1942 deck had US Playng Card Co..  Here's a pic.  I don't know much about card stock or finish, but these 75 year old Aristocrats feel nice.

Anyone know if this name change was implemented across all USPC Russell decks at this time?  Or was this just the Aristocrats?

Just noticed the change in the Guarantee Joker.  1942 omitted "unused"

Title: Re: Aristocrat ace change from Russel to US Playing Card Co
Post by: Don Boyer on October 15, 2016, 01:09:27 AM

I'm not sure how broad the change was, but I do have a footnote to add to this.

When USPC made a reprint of the Aristocrats in April of 2011, they took the change a step further, replacing the "R" for Russell in the center of the spade on the Ace of Spades with an "A" for Aristocrat, done in the same font so as to appear similar.  The reprints are pretty nice as well, among my favorite decks for playing card games like poker and have some nice metallic-ink details on the court cards as well as the deep "casino red" on the hearts and diamonds.  It's one of the last decks they produced that used the Aristocrat stock - it's no longer available.