Union Playing Card

From the collections of PVMA • Digital image © Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc. • Image use information

About this item

The Union Playing Card Company made a number of themed card decks in the 19th century. To cater to Northerners during the Civil War (1861-1865), the company replaced the traditional hearts, spades, clubs, and diamonds with eagles, stars, shields, and American flags. Decks made for the Southern market exchanged traditional suits with Southern generals or cabinet members. Civil War soldiers often broke the monotony of camp life by playing draw poker, cribbage, euchre, faro, keno, twenty-one, and seven-up.

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Details

Item typeToy, Game
CreatorAmerican Card Company
Date1862
TopicSocial Activities, Entertainment, Recreation
EraCivil War and Reconstruction, 1861–1877
EventAmerican Civil War. 1861–1865
MaterialPaper
Process/FormatPrinting
Catalog #1978.41a
View this item in our curatorial database →
American Card Company. Union Playing Card. 1862. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/1978-41a/. Accessed on December 5, 2024.

Please note: Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.