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Some Interesting Facts About Playing cards |
- The four suits which are popular in the world - spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs - originated in France in about 1480.
- The trefle (club) was derived from the acorn and the pique (spade) from the leaf of the German suits. The names "pique" and "spade", however, may have derived from the sword of the Italian suits.
- Also in the 15th century, Europeans changed the court cards to represent European royalty and attendants, originally "king", "chevalier" (knight), and "knave".
- CPSIA certified. Lead content and Phthalate content very low and much below the permissible values.
- The original meaning of knave was male child (German Knabe), so in this context the character could represent the "prince", son to the King and Queen; the meaning servant developed later.
- In a German pack from the 1440s, Queens replace Kings in two of the suits as the highest card. Decks of 56 cards containing in each suit a King, Queen, Knight, and Valet (from the French tarot court) were common.
- Court cards designed in the 16th century in the manufacturing centre of Rouen became the standard design in England, while a Parisian design became standard in France.
- Both the Parisian and Rouennais court cards were named after historical and mythological heroes and heroines.
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