The Deck
This lovely deck was originally published circa 1890 by the B.P. Grimaud company of Paris, France.
While I've seen the original sell for anywhere from $75 to $125 (depending on the condition of the cards and box), I was lucky enough to find a miniature version in an antique store for considerably less. Grimaud has also published a modern-day reproduction of the deck, allowing a collector with limited funds to own a reasonable facsimile of the original for around $5.
Most copies of the original which I've seen are still in amazingly good condition, with the colors so bright you'd swear it was printed yesterday. I've heard that this is because the deck is so pretty, most people didn't play cards with it, but instead put it away in its box, preserving the deck through the decades.
The deck makes use of a metallic gold (which does not scan well, believe me), and has gilded edges, giving the deck a very luxurious feel.
The Cards on Display
The King (Roi) of Clubs
The Ace of Diamonds
The Jack (Valet) of Spades
The Joker
The original deck had no joker. Grimaud distributes this joker with the reproduction deck, for which it was presumably designed.
The Card Back
Louis VX Resources On The Web
- Sculpture of Louis XV
- Painting of Louis XV
- Alta Vista Search - Search the net for more Louis VX sites!
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