Democracy Playing Card Company

[ajhkjh]

First time posting here.  Seeking information on this deck of cards.  Included in a grouping of WW1 military items.  The deck was open, but the cards appear to be unused.  Internet searches for information have not provided any info.  We are hoping that the expert members of this forum will be able to help.  More pictures to follow.  Many thanks in advance, Al and Kathy.

[ajhkjh]

More pictures.

[ecNate]

Must work on Google-Fu   

Apparently from 1918, contact the owner of this site who may have more information for you
http://a.trionfi.eu/WWPCM/decks05/d02093/d02093.htm

Also, prior auction
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/4483746_sonderbilder-non-standard-democracy-playing-ca

Found this via Google Books (from Walden's Stationer and Printer, Volume 44)

New Faces on Playing Cards Some wonderful new playing cards have come on the market and it is all due to the collapse of royalty in Germany It began during a game of bridge in the Arctic Club in Seattle at a gathering of rugged pioneers from the land of Rex Beach Jack London and the Northern Lights The great World War was then early in 1918 at it height but the American troops had reached the firing line and the doom of monarchy was foreshadowed One of the players asked What are we going to do for playing cards now that kings andqueens have passed out of existence IC Gaffney hardy pioneer of the land of malamuts aml golden sands in whose veins courses a full tide of red American blood answered It will be simple enough In place of the old kings and queens who have illuminated cards since the first game was played we will construct an all American deck by using the intrepid Ace of the American air forces for the Ace the Boy in Khaki the K boy the king of all men for the king For the queen we will use the queen of all women our brave nurses who succored our boys on the field of battle and administered every comfort that Divine care could provide And as for the jack continued Mr Gaffney the real Jack of the seas the lad lwho took them over and brought them back a sailor boy in costume will well serve for the jack in this new American deck of playing cards Modern writers on the history of playing cards Mr Gaffney observed have repeatedly asked the question Why do we still remain saflsfied with the grotesque meaningless faces used on our playing cards Numerous demands have been made heretofore to change the faces on playing cards but without success But never has a combination like the group originated by me in Seattle been created to appeal to the public The American appeal or originality in playing cards is meeting with such success that it has been extended to other countries using the Ace Soldier the Nurse and the Sailor in the national uniforms of the respective foreign countries I have some wonderful letters from Senators Congressmen and Governors all over the country endorsing the idea of bringing into use in this country a hundred per cent American deck of cards One good point in the success of the card which is assured from a player's standpoint is that the index do not interfere in the playing of all games of cards This novel and patriotic line of playing cards is being sold by the Democracy Playing Card Co of 110 W 40th Street New York and is permanently exhibited in the Bush Terminal Sales Building

Also,

[ajhkjh]

Hello ecNate.  Thanks for the reply and the references.  I actually collect military items and the deck was in with the other items, hence our lack of knowledge about card collecting.  Have you ever seen one like this before?  The auction site that you referenced showed the auction was in 2007 and the estimate selling price was 150 to 200 Euros.  We don't belong to that site, so we aren't sure whether it sold or not.  We are surprised at the estimated value.  Thanks again for your help.  A&K

[ecNate]

I can tell you that the Hochmann price guide suggests $550 for excellent condition which I'm guessing yours is (provided it is complete).  +/- $200 if condition details put it a rank above or below. 

Out of respect for the guide and encyclopedia, not to mention my time, I won't dig into it more, but you can buy them here for cheap - http://shop.conjuringarts.org/store/pc/Hochman-Price-Guide-2nd-Edition-ePub-p1179.htm#.Vfc7q9KrSuU

At the very least I'll just say it's worth finding a proper appraiser or auction house if you want to sell.

[Don Boyer]

This is the case of a really unique find that was probably not made in huge quantities.  Until this topic, I was unaware that the Democracy Playing Card Company even existed.  Rare deck, few in existence, higher value, especially to those who would assign it any value in the first place.  Considering the art, I'd go for something like that, sure.  It's a cool-looking deck and pushing 100 years old at this point.  I should look so good when I'm that old! 

EDIT: an interesting note, something that may have affected the deck's popularity negatively.  All the court cards have the same artwork from suit to suit.  The Kings are all the same doughboy, same drawing, and the same is true through the Queens and Jacks.  People generally prefer unique images for each card for easier identification, and poker players use some of the art's standard features as the source of nicknames for the cards, such as "Suicide King" for the KH because of his sword held by his head, seemingly stabbing himself with it, or "Bedpost Queen" for the QS because the scepter she holds in her hand looks like a bedpost, etc.  This deck, having none of those features, might have had a competitive disadvantage against decks that did have them.

[ajhkjh]

Thank you ecNate and Don Boyer.  Well, thanks for the kind words and interpretive information.  I think that we have something special that needs some further research.  Until we found this site and found out the enormous interest in playing cards, we had no idea it existed.  So, we all learn something every day, and we are grateful for it.  Now.....have K&I started a new collecting venue?  Thanks again, Al & Kathy

[torcams]

I have a liveauctioneers account.  The deck sold for 260 Euro, fyi.

[ajhkjh]

WOW!  Thank you torcams.  That's amazing.  Thanks again, A&K

[Don Boyer]

I'm able to better narrow down the age of the cards.  Tax stamps are applied before the deck is sold.  Your stamp has an "8 cents" overprint on it.  There's an image of a similar one below, appears to be the same type as what's on your deck.  The Federal tax on playing cards went from 7 to 8 cents in 1919, and increased again to 10 cents in 1924.  You might even be able to determine the exact date the stamp was canceled - they were still stamping them with dates in some cases back then.

This page has a wealth of information on dating US-made playing cards using two methods - tax stamps and (in the case of USPC-made decks) the Ace of Spades code used by USPC.  The site has even more info of use for card collectors and is maintained by a 52 Plus Joker member.
http://www.cypressfilms.com/Bicycle/USPC_Dates/USPC_Dating_Codes.html

[ajhkjh]

Good eye Don!  And thanks for the additional information.  Attached are some close ups of the stamp.  The date looks to be 1 1 20.  Although difficult to see, the stamp was cancelled by R.P.C.Co.  Was it usual for a company to cancel the stamps of another?

Also, even though the box has issues, do you have any idea of what this deck would be worth?

Thanks again, A&K

[andrew daugherty]

Some speculation here to help in further research.  R.P.C. likely indicated Russell Playing Card Co.  The style of the individual pips (especially the "Q" on the queen) is the same as used by Russell -- so is the shape of the large spade on the ace of spades. "Democracy Playing Card Co." may have been a business selling and promoting the cards, but Russell actually made them -- and thus was the company responsible for applying the tax stamp at time of manufacture. 

Chris Turner
52 Plus Joker member

[ajhkjh]

Many thanks Andrew.  Very good information.

Thanks again, Al

[52plusjoker]

The info in these posts is quite accurate. Deck was published by Democracy PCC in 1918 [likely as pointed out actually manufactured by Russell PCC]. In unused condition with some handling and box not mint I think it should be worth about $500 - maybe a bit more.

[ajhkjh]

Thank you Tom.  That is good news for sure!

Al

[ajhkjh]

I just realized that there is only one Joker.  The other card is printed with text on both sides, so I don't think that it can be used as a Joker.  Am I missing a Joker?

Thanks, Al

[Slowhand]

Good news.. you're not missing a Joker... This deck came with 1 Joker and the info. card which you also have... So not to worry :-).. A very nice American WWI deck!

[Don Boyer]

I just realized that there is only one Joker.  The other card is printed with text on both sides, so I don't think that it can be used as a Joker.  Am I missing a Joker?

Thanks, Al

I don't think the practice of including two jokers because very popular until some time between the Great War and World War II, probably during the Great Depression.  It's a little ironic, because the game it was designed for, euchre, was falling out of popularity, replaced with many other games like bridge, canasta and poker, none of which required a joker for play.  "Games needing a joker aren't popular?  OK, then - let's up the ante and put in TWO of them..."  I'm guessing people found other uses for them, such as spares for lost or damaged cards, in which case it would make sense to have companies increase to two Jokers during the Great Depression, a time when the expense of a pack of cards was great enough that replacing decks with damaged cards wasn't always affordable.  You could have up to two damaged cards in a deck replaced by jokers before needing a replacement deck, if used in that manner, allowing people to retain decks longer in a functional state.

[Cryptocard27]

First time posting here.  Seeking information on this deck of cards.  Included in a grouping of WW1 military items.  The deck was open, but the cards appear to be unused.  Internet searches for information have not provided any info.  We are hoping that the expert members of this forum will be able to help.  More pictures to follow.  Many thanks in advance, Al and Kathy.

Your deck is very nice, especially the court and box!! For information, the Democracy Playing Card Co. has been incorporated in Delaware, July 31, 1918, with the capital stock of 2,000,000 by Francis A. Reilly of Brooklyn, New York; N. L. Higgins of New York City; and G. H. Parker of Dunellen, New Jersey. The company was located at 110 W. 40th St., New York.

The design of the deck was made by James C. Gaffney of Seattle, assignor to Democracy Playing  Card Co.
Patents and one article are pictured below.

[Worst Bower]

I just realized that there is only one Joker.  The other card is printed with text on both sides, so I don't think that it can be used as a Joker.  Am I missing a Joker?

The second joker appeared in the late 1940s and early 50s when Canasta took off. It's played with two decks and needs four jokers. Instead of buying four decks, manufacturers added a second joker to each deck.

[ajhkjh]

Once again I am in awe and most grateful for the informative responses.  Many thanks, Al.

[52plusjoker]

Cryptocard is a fantastic source of information about the playing card manufacturers. Thank you Crypto

[Don Boyer]

I just realized that there is only one Joker.  The other card is printed with text on both sides, so I don't think that it can be used as a Joker.  Am I missing a Joker?

The second joker appeared in the late 1940s and early 50s when Canasta took off. It's played with two decks and needs four jokers. Instead of buying four decks, manufacturers added a second joker to each deck.

Excellent!  Thanks for the info.

Cryptocard is a fantastic source of information about the playing card manufacturers. Thank you Crypto

Thanks from me as well - you guys are all a wealth of info.  I'd know a lot less without you around!