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Playing Card Chat ♠ ♥ ♣ ♦ => A Cellar of Fine Vintages => Topic started by: I on February 18, 2023, 10:17:55 AM

Title: Could anyone help get more info on this steamboat 999 deck
Post by: I on February 18, 2023, 10:17:55 AM

I am pretty new to collecting, and I recently bought this steamboat 999 deck on eBay. It seems to have. US7b ace of spades, but it says ?United States Printing Company? instead of ?United States Playing Card Co.?, which I don?t seem to see listed in my Hochman. I attached a photo of the deck. Does anyone have any information on this deck or when it may have been made? Thanks!

Title: Re: Could anyone help get more info on this steamboat 999 deck
Post by: NCC1888 on February 19, 2023, 07:35:45 PM

1895-1910  But since there no date code letter on it I would lean toward 1890s. Do you have a box with a tax stamp?

Title: Re: Could anyone help get more info on this steamboat 999 deck
Post by: I on February 20, 2023, 10:19:03 AM

Thanks so much for your input. Unfortunately I don?t have the box

Title: Re: Could anyone help get more info on this steamboat 999 deck
Post by: Chuqii on February 21, 2023, 01:05:02 AM

Nice find. I don?t think that version is in Hochman. Date c1894. From Hochman:

?1891 to 1894 the Aces of Spades read The United States Printing Co. (USPn).?

Excerpt From
Hochman Encyclopedia Part One
Tom and Judy Dawson
This material may be protected by copyright.

Title: Re: Could anyone help get more info on this steamboat 999 deck
Post by: Don Boyer on April 18, 2023, 11:09:39 AM

Quote from: I on February 18, 2023, 10:17:55 AM

I am pretty new to collecting, and I recently bought this steamboat 999 deck on eBay. It seems to have. US7b ace of spades, but it says ?United States Printing Company? instead of ?United States Playing Card Co.?, which I don?t seem to see listed in my Hochman. I attached a photo of the deck. Does anyone have any information on this deck or when it may have been made? Thanks!

It is a very cool find.  Before they were known as the US Playing Card Company, they were Russell & Morgan, then they were the US Printing Company - before they were the makers of playing cards we all know and love, they were in demand for things like large circus posters and various other advertisements.  This would have been in the infancy or toddlerhood of their playing card printing days.  From what little you've shown, they also look to be in great condition for their probable age.

There's still a number of gaps in the information catalogued in Hochman - we're attempting to fill those gaps with posts like this on the forum.  Thanks for showing us your very interesting find!