- Playing cards were invented in ancient China. They were found in China as early as the 9th century during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The first reference to card games in world history dates from.
- ‘Playing cards were invented by the Chinese before AD 1000. They reached Europe around 1360, not directly from China but from the Mameluke empire of Egypt.’ Following a brief google, we discovered that David is a historian of both card and board games, not some crazy person who writes erroneous nonsense to broadsheets.
- Why Were Playing Cards Invented Since
- Why Were Playing Cards Invented Christmas
- Why Were Playing Cards Invented The Most
How did the Chinese invent playing cards?
Why playing cards were invented. Playing cards were most likely invented for ease of use and for sales profit. Since the original game pieces were made from heavier materials, such as rocks, paper cards would have been easier to take from place to place. Designs on paper cards could have more detail and have more colors than anything carved.
Like many ancient people, the ancient Chinese enjoyed games. The ancient Chinese painted or carved images on sticks, bones or rocks for game playing.
Forum holy moly. After inventing paper in the second century of the Western Han dynasty (206 BCE – 23 CE) and then woodblock printing in the Sui dynasty (581 – 618 CE), the ancient Chinese married the two together to make playing cards as early as the Tang dynasty (618 – 907 CE).
Why playing cards were invented
Playing cards were most likely invented for ease of use and for sales profit. Since the original game pieces were made from heavier materials, such as rocks, paper cards would have been easier to take from place to place.
Designs on paper cards could have more detail and have more colors than anything carved or painted on a stick or bone.
Printed cards would also have been a merchant’s delight. Paper playing cards, unlike bones or rocks, would be destroyed if they got wet, burn easier than a rock, and tear easier than breaking a stick or bone. All of these destruction methods meant that card players would need playing cards more often than previous types of game pieces. Having a woodblock with the engraved images available to print a new set of cards meant that the merchant could quickly and easily have new cards available for playing card buyers.
Chinese playing card designs
The designs on the earliest type of cards may have looked similar to the paint or carved images on the original sticks, bones or rocks used as games pieces. The earliest playing cards included cards with different numbers of coins shown on each card from one coin per card to ten strings of ten coins. Additionally, some of the cards had pictures of characters from ancient Chinese stories or folk tales.
The size of the ancient Chinese cards was smaller than modern cards. The ancient Chinese playing cards were made in sizes from 1 inch long by 3/8 inch wide to 2 inches long by 1 inch wide.
You might also like:
Playing cards have been around since we all can remember. Many of us grew up playing games like Go Fish, Crazy Eights, Spoons, Gin Rummy, Solitaire, Bridge and much more. Some of us love cards so much, we’ve even invested in customized playing cards of our own design!
But what are some of the fun facts that make these cards so extra special? We’ve found seven fascinating facts you might not have known about playing cards and their history.
THE FIRST DECKS OF CARDS WERE CREATED IN IMPERIAL CHINA SOMETIME DURING THE 9TH CENTURY.
Why Were Playing Cards Invented Since
It is believed that the first printed card deck was made around 13 centuries ago and consisted of only 32 cards, which included all combinations of a pair of dice. The decks were initially printed on paper, wood and even bone.
THE FRENCH SUIT SYMBOLS WE USE IN CARD DECKS TODAY WERE ORIGINALLY DERIVED FROM GERMAN ONES DURING THE LATE 1400S.
The French suit symbols we are most familiar with (Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs and Spades) are a variation of the German suit symbols used in the late 1370s. Those symbols include Acorns, Leaves, Hearts and Bells. Even earlier than that in the 14th century, the symbols were Cups, Swords, Coins and Batons, which were copied by the Italians. It wasn’t until the 1480s that the French suit symbols became popular and are still widely used today in America and other regions.
FACE CARDS WERE DESIGNED AFTER REAL PEOPLE IN HISTORY.
French card decks (the version we use today) were modeled after renowned historical figures. These personalized playing cards included Charlemagne (King of Hearts), Julius Caesar (King of Diamonds), Alexander the Great (King of Clubs) and King David from the Holy Bible (King of Spades).
THE FIRST BICYCLE® PLAYING CARDS WERE PRODUCED IN THE LATE 1800S.
The most iconic card deck known to Americans is the Bicycle brand. Dating back to 1885, Bicycle cards were used by (and continue to be used by) magicians, gamblers and card players across the globe.
MOST CASINO PLAYING CARDS ARE MADE OF 100% PLASTIC.
It is very common for casinos to have plastic cards for two main reasons: 1) they are better for frequent handling and last much longer than paper cards, and 2) they are significantly more difficult to write on, which in turn, makes it hard for players to try and cheat.
PLAYING CARDS ONCE HELPED AMERICAN WAR PRISONERS ESCAPE TO FREEDOM.
During World War II, the government partnered with the United States Playing Card Company to produce and ship out specially designed card decks to help lead American POWs to freedom. The cards were designed to peel apart when wet, revealing pieces to a secret map that helped them escape.
THE U.S. USED ACE OF SPADES CARDS TO SCARE THE VIET CONG DURING THE VIETNAM WAR.
Why Were Playing Cards Invented Christmas
Playing cards didn’t just help American soldiers during World War II. They also assisted them during the Vietnam War in 1966, two U.S. lieutenants had an idea to create psychological warfare among the Viet Cong. The lieutenants knew three very important things: 1) that the French used playing cards to foretell the future, 2) that the Ace of Spades signified a forewarning of death, and 3) that the Viet Cong were very superstitious people. So, they decided to use this information to create a very methodical scare tactic for their enemies. After contacting the United States Playing Card Company, they coordinated a shipment of thousands of crates full of only Ace of Spades cards to be sent to the warzone areas of Southeast Asia and dispersed throughout the jungles to frighten the Viet Cong. They were successful in their scare tactic.
Why Were Playing Cards Invented The Most
Vegas gambling tips. Want to learn more about playing cards and how to create your own customized card decks? Click below for details!