I'm really hoping someone will jump in, because I want to know also.

There's a deck in Hochman's (NY88) called Star Playing Cards which is assumed to be printed by New York Playing Card Company around 1900. The star theme is similar to your box. I wish you had that flap!

The stamp on your deck (RF1) was issued for a single year (1894). Others like it say "Act of" instead of "On Hand" (and they're variations on blue).

I also can't (at the moment) reconcile the G. A. & C. cancellation.

I'm just here to say we're not ignoring you.

Yes, I have been looking for months. 

The earliest absolute proof I have for the existence of Stud Playing Cards comes from 17 feb 1937. The ad seems to indicate that they are a new brand. I'm sure their "Smooth, linen finish..." means they are a slick Linen Finish, as opposed to a Smooth Finish.

There are a LOT of ads for Studs in 1937, from Illinois and Missouri to the earliest example I've found from Idaho.

I find it very interesting that the back shown here is the same as the modern back. (I thought the "multiple windmills" back preceded the modern one.)

Quick reminder to those searching for tax-stamped Studs - UPC codes and tax stamps NEVER coexisted! There's a gap of 10 years between them. There are pictures of UPC / Tax stamp Studs even here on PCF. Be warned. From "Studs came out around 1980" to "These tax stamps and UPC decks are legit," there's a bit of misinformation.

Attached, find a full page Walgreen's ad and 2 zoomed sections. The Post-Register - Idaho Falls, Idaho - 17 february 1937.

@Don - It does seem old enough to appear in Hochman's.

I was looking at that deck and that listing. When I see the USPCC star-shaped cancellation, I usually think of earlier decks. Later cancellations are usually just text.

So... I've changed my search considerably. Now, I've found "New" Stud Playing Cards alongside Centaur and Peau Doux from 1938. I might even have a 1937.

Sorry for the double-reply, but this is crazy to me.

I've never seen tax-stamped Studs. I've seen lots of claims and fakes of tax-stamped Studs.

I'm ready to be wrong.

Each time I've seen them, there's either a barcode on the bottom or the bottom isn't shown at all. The timelines of tax stamps and bar codes NEVER overlapped. I'm ready to see the bottom of a tuck without a bar code.

I did another search and found Studs as early as November 1973. I've attached a blurry ad from july 1974. If anyone has a subscription to newspapers.com, there are a LOT of results where the date is visible with the ads that show them.

I'm on board with 1976 as well.

(To me, "No tax stamp appears here to put it pre-1965." means "No tax stamp appears here which would have put it pre-1965." I see the potential ambiguity, though.)

Hello Tom, I have an older looking deck of 808 Bicycle U.S. playing cards. The box says "gold edges", the box isn't in great condition, but the inner deck is wrapped in cellophane and has gold edges it is in perfect condition. Can you give me any information about this deck? Any help would be appreciated. I live in Norwood, Ohio, former home of USPC and found them in a thrift store nearby. Thanks.

Even from the little information you've given, you're very likely to have a treasure. Are they Rider Back? Is the inner "cellophane" sealed? Which style is the tuck? Does it say "Extra Bicycle" or is the Gold Edges text on the bottom only? Do you see your tuck if you google Bicycle Playing Cards Gold Edges? Are they possibly not red or blue? You've described a sports car, but we can't tell if you have a 1980s Camaro or a new Lamborghini.

Brown clubs, green diamonds, red hearts, black spades, 52+J+ad+blank, gilded, slipcase, matched pair.

I really like having these and they get more attention than a lot of the decks I have. This might be the last series, since I haven't seen Series "H" or beyond. I can't be sure.

Giant sized image - https://i.imgur.com/0xwRCRo.jpg

Anyone out there have an Elf deck like this one, or have a different one that they can measure?  Thanks for the help.

I have red and blue Elf decks. Mine are the same size you describe. The cards are absolutely 2 13/16".

Quick side note--the tuck is 2 15/16". Pic attached.

The Studs are red / blue, poker / jumbo index (or the other way around  )
Edit - The above is correct. The red Studs read "Poker Playing Cards," while the blue Studs read "Jumbo Index Playing Cards."

I'm convinced these are gold!

I picked up six decks from Walgreens yesterday with 2017 copyright dates. On all of these, the fine print now shows
"A subsidiary of Newell Brands, Inc."
instead of Jarden. Five of these are new, familiar releases.

Old / new decks -
Bicycle Black Tiger Deck (I haven't looked for changes - shows Performance Coating still)
Bicycle Steam Punk (Theory11 - These now come in GOLD)
Bicycle Emotions (same graphics as the old Kickstarter, seal is now standard, not custom)
Stud Poker
Stud Jumbo Index

I have found over 25 examples of dash codes now. All of them have first numbers that are 12 or less.

Three of them have a date code that doesn't match the dash code from the joker, but these are off by only one.

I know my eBay links won't last forever, but here are a couple to check out.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/371983050123
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191866780047

These are both Little Duke decks from USPCC. (Coincidentally, Little Dukes were very, very popular in the UK.)

Notice on the first listing, the ace shows 4-11. Notice the joker has a P code. 4-11 is 1911 and P is 1911.
Notice on the second listing, the ace shows 10-9. Notice the 1909 tax stamp on the box.

I have found that these Dash Codes are consistent. Every once in a while, the joker will be one digit away. Sometimes, the tax stamp will be a year late. Perhaps the joker plate didn't get updated as the Ace did. In the other case, some decks sell obviously after they are made. Some Bicycle decks show the same dash code without a typical letter start. Even those have been consistent. I can back this observation up from my own collection a number of times.

I would bet my Little Duke collection that you have a Texan deck manufactured in 1920.

The number before the dash could very well be the month. I'll check for numbers greater than 12 later today maybe.

EDIT: Hochman USPCC: Having only looked quickly from US1 to US32, there are at least 12 dash codes. All are consistent with release years and none of them have a leading indicator above 12. Some have a space instead of a dash.