Playing Cards Gallery
A National Cigar Museum Exclusive
© Tony Hyman
If you’re a smoker, you’re just about guaranteed to light up when enjoying a cocktail or playing cards. So what could be more natural than offering cigar smokers free or inexpensive decks of playing cards.
The first cigar-playing card combination of which collectors are aware came in 1879, shortly after packaging laws were changed to permit oddly shaped boxes. A.L. & B., whomever they were, ordered A. Lichtenstein Son & Co., one
of the 72 New York City factories employing more than 100 rollers, to pack 100 cigars in a clever slide-top novelty box that could be converted to a cribbage board. A deck of cards was included inside Crib Box brand, but so far, has never been identified.
The following year, distributor E.C. Hazard ordered Social Game, a cribbage board box to be filled by Kimball, Crouse & Co., another of the 72. Pegs were included, but the width of the divider inside the box makes it uncertain whether cards were also included.
There was no doubt that Detroit’s Brown Bros. included a deck in the fancy poker set they are believed to have given to select distributors sometime around the turn-of-the- century, before they were bought up by the tobacco trust. A poker-size deck fits perfectly in the sadly empty space.
Like the metal chips, the missing deck probably had a Fontella back to advertise their 5¢ leading seller. Such a deck exists but I haven’t seen one for sale since obtaining this.
Another box which contained both cigars and playing cards is this Mission style package used by an unknown Cuban cigar maker during the bridge craze of the 1920s. The inclusion of bridge scoring on the lid suggests it was intended to sit on or near the table.
No deck has been found.
One of the more recent boxes of cigars to include a deck of playing cards is this White Owl Pleasure Chest. In addition to cards, it came with 25 cigars, a checker board, checkers with chess-piece markings, and six dice.
Sadly, General Cigar chose to use generic cards rather a deck with a distinctive advertising back. Alas.
If a reader can tell me the year it was sold, and perhaps provide a magazine ad, I’d post it
An unknown number of cigar and other companies used the backs of playing cards to display advertising. The practice began in the 1870s and continues 140 years later. A few of the better known are displayed here.
The only pinochle deck I’ve found related to cigars came from the Cigar Maker’s International Union.
[12828]
Hull, Grummond of Binghamton used their most popular label on the box and the card back. The Ace of spades carried advertising for their brand.
[12822]
The reverse of the FRANKLIN box advertises
their more expensive brand.
[12823]
How most cards were distributed is unknown. The flap tells us: “We will send a deck of these cards upon receipt of 30 cents in stamps, or three decks for 75 cents.”
[12824]
Perhaps the most unusual cigar advertising deck
is this for Milwaukee cigar maker H.O. Frank, the only one I’ve encountered where both the box and the cards are made of celluloid.
[12830]
Frank advertised on the backs of the cards, but didn’t mention a brand. The Ace of spades was used by celluloid novelty producer
Whitehead & Hoag.
[12829]
Mendelsohn’s portrait adorns the label of
E.A. Kline’s EL SYMPHONIE cigars as well as the back, Joker, and Ace of his promotional deck. Whether there was originally a box is unknown.
[12840]
One of the best known of the cigar playing cards
is this deck for the Puerto Rican PORTINA, which, like previously displayed decks, dates
from before World War One. Box?
[12826]
Decks displayed from hereon are all post-1960.
[12825]
Advertising is restricted to an insert “second Joker” card, but Rembrandt’s painting clearly
identifies DUTCH MASTERS cigars.
[12827]
Two different decks for EL PRODUCTO are
pictured here and the following.
Neither is owned by the NCM.
Sold in 1987, the back design suggests this
deck is a few years newer than the previous.
Not in the NCM collection.
Joe Camel adorns this cigarette deck
offered in 1989-90.
[12821]
Joe Camel is seen on both sides of the box,
on the Joker and the Ace of spades.
[12820]
These PARTAGAS cards are currently offered
on the internet for $5, so the marriage of
cards and cigars continues.
Not in the NCM collection.
