As a historically-minded joker collector, I've been contemplating and researching what could be considered the first joker. I find it complicated.
I hope to discuss the topic with others who are more learned than I am at the 52Plus Conference in Niagara Falls in three weeks and I wrote an article to prepare.
https://www.amusedbyjokersami.com/2024/09/investigating-great-invention-of-1800s.htmlI started by thinking that to count as the first modern joker, the card should be called a "joker", be a multipurpose extra card, and have a jester on it so that it belongs at court with the kings and queens.
But from there, I found myself in a maze of historical sources and definitions. While I started by relying 100% on info from
The Hochman Encyclopedia of American Playing Cards, I learned that it too has some errors.
(I tried to post this in the section on Card Collecting but the forum did not present me with a 'New Topic' menu choice there.)
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