Help indentifying an antique USPC card back

[Chuqii]

Just picked up this cool ad on eBay.  It is a USPC price list (1893 per the listing).  I've never seen the red eagle back with shields in the corners before, but I really want one now.  Anyone know which line of USPC cards this was a part of?  Anybody have one?  (I'll post a better pic when the ad arrives)

[Eddie Hughlett]

Never seen it before, but it looks like my next white whale.

[Chuqii]

Looking at the picture again, and I wonder if that back is a Skat deck. It looks longer than a regular deck which would make it a Skat size.

[Don Boyer]

Looking at the picture again, and I wonder if that back is a Skat deck. It looks longer than a regular deck which would make it a Skat size.

I wouldn't bet on that.  It's practically impossible to tell size and scale from an image like that.  Looking forward to hearing from you after you get the poster!

[Chuqii]

Here are the scans of the advertisement.  Came from a 1893 Marshall Field catalog.  Now that I have the ad, the mystery back looks to be regular wide size (cards on the ad are actual size).  Still no clue on the brand.  Anyway, fun to look at.  If anyone wants a full-size copy of the scan, just let me know.

[Chuqii]

Nudge

[Don Boyer]

Nudge

Perhaps you should toss your query toward the lovely folks to write Clear the Decks?  They're more likely to know and many of the older members with that specialized knowledge don't check in here much.  I'd hate to see your question languish unanswered.

[Chuqii]

Good idea.

[Pip Nosher]

I don't visit here as often as I should, but I did see this thread and thought I could help. I looked at my earliest Russell & Morgan Printing Company sample book (ca. 1885) in hopes of finding that back, but it was not included in the book (see the scan of the sample book covers). I think you could reasonably conclude that the back was issued in late 1880's to 1890's. Someone might have a sample book from that era. Unfortunately, I don't.

[Don Boyer]

Something very interesting caught my attention about that ad.  There's a little paragraph in the lower left corner that reads:

'THE "CARD PLAYER'S COMPANION," showing how games are played, and describing 40 brands - 400 kinds - of Playing Cards, will be sent to any one who will inclose [sic] a 2-cent stamp to THE UNITED STATES PRINTING CO., Russell & Morgan Factories, Cincinnati, Ohio.'

I would love to have a gander at that "Card Player's Companion" if it does indeed include details of some of their earliest brands and their varieties!

[tobyedwards]

The back in question is called Eagle and is from the USPn Treasury # 89 brand.
I was able to locate this back design on page 18 of The Card Player's Companion, 5th Edition, copyright 1891.

[Chuqii]

Thanks for solving this one for us, Toby!  And thanks for the scan.  I have the 3rd edition of the Card Player's Companion, but it wasn't in that one.