Bicycle Playing Cards

thumb|A Bicycle Playing Card price list featuring 29 different Bicycle back designs offered by the U.S. Playing Card Company in 1904

thumb|A ca. 1908 Bicycle Playing Card advertisement that features poker odds on the back

thumb|A ca. 1905 Bicycle Playing Card magazine advertisement showing the "Locomobile" back design and box

thumb|Current Bicycle playing cards: Ace of spades, joker, and the "Rider Back" in red

Bicycle Playing Cards is a brand of playing cards. Bicycle playing cards were first manufactured by the United States Printing Company in 1885. In 1894, the United States Playing Card Company (USPCC) incorporated as an independent entity from the other Russell & Morgan printing concerns. At that time, the Bicycle ace of spades first referenced the numerical designation, 808. After years in Cincinnati, Ohio, USPCC is now based in Erlanger, Kentucky. "Bicycle" is a trademark of the company and is generally recognized as the USPCC's flagship brand of playing cards.

The name Bicycle was chosen to reflect the popularity of the bicycle at the end of the 19th century. Indeed, most Bicycle back designs feature bicycles or, in some cases, bicycle parts, such as the chain, pedal, saddle, or handlebars. During the early years of the horseless carriage (1898-1910), automobiles were also featured on Bicycle decks.

Design

Bicycle cards follow the pattern of the French deck, containing 52 cards (13 in each of two red and two black suits), and include two jokers. The Bicycle trademark is printed on the ace of spades. Current decks contain two advertisement cards as well.

Bicycle playing cards are sold in a variety of back designs, with the "Rider Back" design (No.63) being, by far, the most popular. and pinochle decks, "Jumbo Index" decks and Lo Vision cards that are designed for the visually impaired. Other types of cards with varying backs, sizes, colors and custom designs are produced for magic tricks and as novelty and collector's items.

Numbered back designs

82 different historic back designs have been produced by USPCC and sold under the Bicycle brand. Many were produced for a short period of time, and most are now obsolete and sough-after by vintage playing card collectors. What follows is a complete list of these designs. Dreadnaught for the Navy, Invincible (aka Conqueror) for the Marine Corps, and Big Gun for the Army. The decks were printed in 1917, and apparently only given an extremely limited release before being withdrawn from circulation. It is unknown why the decks were not circulated, but one theory is that they were intended to be distributed to the troops overseas, and USPCC destroyed their inventory of the War Decks when Armistice was declared in 1918. Only a handful of these decks exist today.

World War II

During World War II, cards were produced that could be peeled apart when submerged in water. Portions of a large map could be drawn on the inside surfaces, and the halves were then reassembled to form an innocuous-looking deck. These cards were supplied to POWs for use in escapes. At least one example of such a deck is known to exist, and is on display at the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC. Modern reproductions have been sold in limited editions.

Vietnam War

The company provided crates of ace of spades cards for U.S. soldiers in the Vietnam War. It was erroneously believed that the Viet Cong regarded this particular card as a symbol of death and would flee at the sight of it. In actuality, it initially meant nothing to the Viet Cong, but the belief that the enemy was afraid of the cards improved the U.S. soldiers' morale.

References

External links

Bicycle Playing Cards for Collectors: https://bicyclecards.org/