Star Plaid No. 2
Introduced in 1907. Discontinued in 1932. Singles appear now and again, but decks are extremely rare. Red singles also seem to be more scarce than blue.
Star Plaid No. 1
Introduced in 1906. Discontinued in 1907. Star Plaid No. 1 had one of the shortest runs in the Bicycle playing card family. It should come as no surprise, then, to know that the design is exceedingly rare. Finding a sample card from a salesman’s sample folder or book may be the only way to add […]
Sprocket No. 2
Introduced in 1905. Discontinued in 1917. Sprocket No. 2 is slightly less common than its predecessor, Sprocket No. 1, but complete decks are still relatively easy to find. The first two cards on the left, above, represent a variant of the Sprocket back that is not listed in Mrs. Robinson’s Bicycle Playing Card pamphlet. We […]
Safety
Introduced in 1892. Discontinued in 1943. This attractive back design had a very long run. Easily found in red or blue, at least in later issues, but quite rare in green and brown. The only example I have seen in US8aa is a blue 32 card euchre deck (without a box). Steve Bowling reports that […]
Rider
Introduced in 1887, and continuously produced since that time. On top of being the most frequently used deck for casual card games, the Rider back is also very popular with collectors, cardists and magicians. Unlike some other long running designs, the Rider back has hardly changed since the beginning. I say “hardly” because Jan Summers, […]
Racer No. 2
Introduced in 1906. Discontinued in 1970, but was released again in the 1980’s or 90’s as a regular issue, and as a pinochle deck (see the second image, below). Racer No. 2 is a common deck in red and blue and has been a mainstay of many a poker game over the years. While original […]
Racer No. 1
Introduced in 1895. Discontinued in 1906. I question this end date, as the deck would be found in the US8d edition if it had lasted that long, and I have yet to see a Racer No. 1 in that iteration. 1898 is a more likely end date as the only examples I have ever seen […]
Pneumatic No. 2
Introduced in 1908. Discontinued in 1939. A considerably longer run than its predecessor, Pneumatic No. 1, but much harder to find. Singles are not uncommon, but complete decks are scarce. One of the simplest designs USPC issued while still representing the bicycle theme.
Pneumatic No. 1
Introduced in 1894. Discontinued in 1908. A very pleasant design that strives for symmetry in its outer regions but relinquishes all hope in the central motif. Not rare by any means, but certainly uncommon in an original box, and especially paired with its joker. Some, but not all, Pneumatic No. 1 decks were issued with […]
Pedal
Introduced in 1899. Discontinued in 1917. Pedal is a whimsical back design that joins Chain, (Chainless), Handlebar, Lantern, Saddle, and Sprocket in celebrating one small part of the common bicycle. Note the tiny pedals that serve as a border design, and the four pedals drawn in perspective in the center. Altogether a very pleasing design. […]