Swiss Suits, New Design
This page is dedicated to complete new designs of playing cards that use the Swiss suit system. Some try to be humoristic, others artistic and the last two decks were created to replace the traditional Swiss pattern.
In the year 1966 André Stehlé designed these cards for the graphic office Heidelberger and Schneider. All court cards of each rank are alike except for the colours.
These cards were designed by Dithard von Rabenau. They were published 1991 for a comic magazine called "Koma".
I bought these cards at a flea market. Therefore I know nothing about them, except what I can read on the back. There it says: "Das Magazin für Spielen und mehr AHA!". Looks like these cards were originally sold together with a magazine for children. Year and artist are unknown.
L'Histoire des Lapins, Edition en Soie, Zürich. En Soie in corporation with Annabelle. Design by Ines Boesch, Printed by Ravensburg Verlag, March 1997. This is a nice pack. All the court cards are female. The Ober and Under have a feminized spelling: "Oberin" and "Underin".
In 1982 the Swiss manufacturer Müller, who was the number one for playing cards in Switzerland, decided to redesign the Swiss pattern. The idea was that with its leadership it would be just a matter of time until these cards replace the traditional pattern. The artist Egbert Moehsnang drew the cards. But these cards never even had the touch of a chance. They were simply refused by the card players and after some time they disappeared from the shelves. For a view of more cards of this deck, see the book "All Cards on the Table" of the Collection Sylvia Mann, Volume II, page 159, no. 128.
Nearly twenty years later Müller again tried to replace the traditional Swiss pattern. About 2000 these cards were brought to the stores. They can still be bought in some special places, but it looks like they will have the same fate as the cards from 1982, for the card players also refuse to use this deck. For a view of all court cards see the Alta Carta page Modern Swiss-German Pattern.
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