Expert

N 29

Introduced in 1895. Discontinued in 1943. Expert is relatively easy to find in all of its iterations, although US8b and US8d boxes are always scarce.

This back design is very similar to Old Fan. For a comparison of the two backs, visit the Old Fan page. Expert is also very similar to two different Chas. Goodall decks issued in the United Kingdom (see comparisons of both back designs with Expert, below). I don’t know for certain that the USPC design came first, but Expert is one of the older Bicycle back designs. Interestingly, Expert was also one of the back designs exported to the UK (click on “UK” above for more information).

The Expert back was revived in a distressed version for what I believe was USPCC’s second Heritage series. See examples of the different colors offered in the series of images, below.

The last image, below, is from a Universal Playing Card Co. catalogue in the collection of a Japanese collector, Kei Izumi. Several of the backs in Universal’s extensive offerings bear a striking resemblance (or are identical) to USPCC back designs. The image below shows their adaptation of the Expert back, which appears identical to the USPCC version, but for the little bicyclists having been replaced by the graphic element from the center of the card. Also see the Angel, Club and Nautic pages for more images from this interesting catalogue.

SALES DATA

A red Expert sample card sold on eBay for $30 on 2/13/17.
A blue US8c Expert Seconds deck (original box, joker and special “Seconds” ace of clubs) sold on eBay for $58 on 4/27/17.
A blue Expert sample card sold on eBay for $10 on 1/23/18.
A MS red US8e Expert deck (ca. 1924-1929) sold on eBay for $295 on 3/28/20.
A VG/EX blue US8c Expert deck with joker in OB3 sold on eBay for $63 on 8/12/20.
A G Expert US8e deck (1941) with joker in original box sold on eBay for $10 on 9/28/20.
A MS blue US8e Expert deck (ca. 1924-1929) sold on eBay for $300 on 3/08/21. The box was a bit rough.

The USPCC Expert back is on the left. The design on the right is from the U.K.

This Goodall back design is an almost exact replica of the USPCC original. The USPCC back is the red one on the right.

The Expert reissue has a box design based on the US8 deck.

Three Expert back decks from one of the Bicycle Heritage series. Note that the decks are made to appear distressed.

This is a page from a Japanese sample book for the Universal Playing Card Co. In the box and on the left at the bottom of the page, are examples of their adaptation of the Expert back. The red back in the center is identical to a USPCC design for No. 93 Ivory Whist playing cards.