<DIV>1. This is a normal Spanish pack ('baraja'=deck of cards) of 48 cards - numerals 1 - 9 and picture cards rey (king) caballo (horseman) and sota (valet) in each suit: bastos (clubs), espadas (swords) oros (coins) and copas (cups). The additional non-suited cards are for use as jokers (comodines). [Spanish-design packs of 52 cards (with K Q J) called 'Poker espanol' are also in general use and there are also packs of 40 cards that omit the 8s and 9s].</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>2. The best book (by a long way!) in English is Trevor Denning's 'The Playing Cards of Spain' (1996) ISBN 1 900541 10 6</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Some earlier writers are wrong about the history and origins of the Spanish pack, suggesting that is just a deficient version of the standard English pack. As Denning says, it is an independent development established two hundred years before 'English' cards were imported from France.<BR><BR>Adrian Seville</DIV><B><I></I></B>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">Huette von Ahrens wrote:<BR>> It is an<BR>> interesting<BR>> deck that seems to be a mix of a standard playing deck<BR>> and a<BR>> tarot deck. The suits are gold coins, swords, cups<BR>> and clubs<BR>> [i.e. like a large wooden club, not the clover club]. <BR>> Each suit<BR>> consists of number cards from 1 through 9 and three<BR>> face cards<BR>> of a knave, a cavalier, and a king. The total of<BR>> cards is 48.<BR>> There are also two cards which I would call "jokers",<BR>> although<BR>> they don't have a joker on them, just a logo.<BR><BR>I don't know this game offhand (I'll consult my books and see if <BR>anything turns up), but note that it's perfectly routine to have variant <BR>suits like this, especially in other countries. The coin/cup/sword/stick <BR>motif is quite common in the Latin countries, not just for Tarot
decks...<BR><BR>-- Justin<BR><BR><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>hist-games mailing list<BR>hist-games@www.pbm.com<BR>http://www.pbm.com/mailman/listinfo/hist-games<BR></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV><BR></DIV>