Introduced in 1927. Discontinued in 1943. Stag is surprisingly hard to find paired with its original box. Decks usually go for over $100 when they surface in that condition.

A collector friend writes, “In my 1908 sample book, Stag and Eagle backs are both shown as being offered under the Capitol #188 brand which, according to Hochman, was phased out in 1928. This dovetails rather nicely with their subsequent introduction into the Bicycle brand. Given that these two back designs were apparently successful with at least a 20-year run, perhaps, this was USPC’s way of extending their sales lives.”

Outdoors and hunting themes were popular around the turn of the last century, and several playing card brands, such as USPC’s Sportsman and Dougherty’s Outing, celebrated game animals. The two back design pictured below are among many others featuring stags, deer or elk in the designs. In the last image, I compare the brown stag back with the Bicycle version.