Cupid was first issued in 1894 in what collectors call the Sod back, pictured here, which references the grass under the bicycle wheels. This version of Cupid is very rare in any color, and especially so in green or brown. The Sod back was apparently discontinued early in its run, probably no later than 1896, which would account for the rarity of this back. Singles are rare in any color, but most often seen in red.
The picture below shows the subtle changes in this back design from the earliest version to the most recent, reprinted in the mid-2000s. Unlike some other updated Bicycle backs, I think Cupid has evolved into a cleaner, more pleasing design–without sacrificing its excellent detail or essential design elements.
One interesting feature of the Sod version of Cupid is that it is actually a one-way back, meaning that the design of the card has a subtle difference that gives it a distinct “top” and “bottom.” In this case, the linked rings around the periphery of the central circle have the links connected the opposite way on the left and the right. The difference can be clearly seen by comparing the right sides of the two enlarged cards, below. In 2019, I noticed that the early US8b Crosshatch edition of Cupid was actually made in a one-way version as well. See the next Cupid entry for more information and a picture.
The next image, below, is a facsimile of the U.S. patent for the Cupid design, filed by John Omwake, on behalf of the United States Printing Company.
The final image shows a card from a deck of Cupid music playing cards. The list of early Bicycle cards that were issued as a music deck seems to grow frequently. Others include Emblem, Lotus, Old Fan, Safety, Thistle and Wheel No. 1. In every case, I believe the cards backs were printed by Russell and Morgan and the faces were then printed with the music notations by a third party printer. The only complete Bicycle music deck I have ever seen is the one that came with the Lotus deck, “Shuffle Staff,” by Helen Parker Ford.
Click here or on the righthand arrow below to see the more recent and considerably more common Cupid back with the cross-hatch background.
SALES DATA
A blue single of the Cupid Sod back sold on eBay on 6/09/16 for $125, continuing a series of record-setting prices for Bicycle singles.
On 10/12/16, a red single of the Cupid sod back sold on eBay for $26. The red singles seem to be more common than the blue.
A Blue Cupid Sod back deck in Good condition sold on eBay on 6/08/19 for $16.50. While the deck is generally well worn and dirty, some of the cards are actually in pretty good shape. I’m thinking seriously about parting this one out for singles, because the blue Sod singles are so scarce.
