Using Playing Cards as MoneyĬards have been used for playing games, generating income, and as a popular form of entertainment throughout the centuries for people of all ages.įrance was the first country to use playing cards in exchange for goods due to a money shortage. They might have lost their rarity, but the accessibility of playing cards today means that there are many more game variations to choose from, suitable for everyone preschool aged children to adults. Cards are now available from in standard form to themed, and you can even purchase cards with large print and braille. You can pick up a pack of playing cards from almost anywhere now as they’re printed on paper. Gamblers didn’t want their opponents to see what cards they were holding, so cards developed to have stars on the back so you couldn’t see through them. Clubs represent peasants, diamonds for merchants, spades for the military, and hearts for members of the church.Īs cards became more popular amongst gamblers, their designs simplified to not distract players. Historians believe that the four different suits represent four classes in Medieval society. Now they’re now packaged small enough to carry with you anywhere you go.Ĭard symbols have drastically changed since the ancient Chinese began creating them. This led to cards being made out of paper. When the card-playing trade landed in the United States, soldiers brought the cards home with them in their pockets. Those playing cards, then as now, made for cherished collector’s items. These pictures, made with fine handiwork, resulted in stunning playing cards. Germany, for example, used wood-cutting techniques and copper resources to create engraved picture. This variety could be seen in a variety of places like India, Persia, Egypt, and Europe. Later on, they started being printed on a wide variety of materials throughout the centuries. In the early years, cards were printed on wood and bone. If you add up the numbers in each deck, you will have a sum of 365, the exact number of days in the year.
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Some suggest that the 52 cards were developed based on the 52 weeks in a year. Today, we have variations from 24-52 cards per pack. It’s believed that the first deck of printed cards contained 32 in the pack. This made card games even more popular, with a huge increase in distribution and accessibility. That being said, Germany really took the cake when it came to printing playing cards in the highest volumes.
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This was right in the middle of the War of the Roses, which is often culturally connected to the symbols on modern playing cards.
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Shortly thereafter, England adopted this same structure around the year 1462. France created the four suits in the 1400’s as we know them today: Hearts, Diamonds, Spades, and Clubs. Many styles of these styles were supposedly invented by a famous knight called Etienne Vignoles. The Europeans had completely different card styles than the Chinese. It wasn’t until the 13th century that the novelty of playing cards reached Europe. This suggests that people traded these cards the way we trade money today. Their designs and symbols resembled Chinese paper money of that time.
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Scholars believe that playing cards were first invented in the ninth century by the Chinese. But have you ever considered where all of these games originated? Let’s take a look at the history of card playing and where it all began (and why)! Earliest References for Playing Cards Many families own a pack of playing cards as there are so many fun games to explore.