Bohemian Fortune Telling/Playing Cards from late 1800's?

[knwldg101]

I've been a fan of collecting old cards since I was a kid. I typically dont buy card decks from Ebay but I saw this one and it really caught my eye. I've tried researching it but I haven't come up with anything. ha it feels very weird to try and research something online and come up with nothing....makes me realize how we've all become pampered with the internet! Seller said the deck was from 1870-1880? It looks and feels similar to cards from that era. But doing more research I actually don't even think these cards are from the U.S and I'm just basing this off the fact that one of the cards says "Gaol" which is how British used to say jail. Also this deck is not in the  Hochman's Encyclopedia.

Just a guess but I'm thinking this is a deck from late 1800's England? Maybe even early 1900's? But honestly I have no clue. It says "copyright" on the cards but there are no dates anywhere.

I was referred to this site in the hopes someone here may have more information about these cards. The deck does have a total of 52 cards but this is all I can upload for now.

[skinny]

Even with the word Gaol, these feel American to me. I found the other cards from their eBay listing. I feel like the English is American. It's not hard to find American copy and vocabulary like this on old postcards and in old advertisements. The campaign hats feel American. (I've just found, though, that some British troops (after seeing North American hats) wore them around or after 1890; see Wikipedia - Campaign Hat). I didn't find these, nor any similar, in Hochman either.

These are really, really nice! I shall defer, hopefully, to posts below.

[knwldg101]

thanks for the reply! yeah out of all the older decks I've seen in the last few years as I've got more into collecting interesting decks I haven't come across anything like this. Neat little deck. I do see what you mean about the wording being more American though.

[TheBadJoker]

I too feel the deck is American. It may be slightly later than you think because the man seated might be dressed in World War I clothing. Never seen the deck but definitely cool.

[knwldg101]

Thank...yeah someone else mentioned the WW1 clothing on another site I was trying to find info. Hopefully I'll find someone that has some info on the deck!

[Don Boyer]

Thank...yeah someone else mentioned the WW1 clothing on another site I was trying to find info. Hopefully I'll find someone that has some info on the deck!

It's possible that this deck was a competing product to the original "Gypsy Witch" playing cards, which also date back into the very early 20th century.  I'm inclined to guess American, and that's strictly based on the popularity of this type of deck in turn-of-the-century America.  It's an excellent find, really.