English playing cards. Transformation deck, C.B. Reynolds of Liverpool, 1863

Transformation deck, C.B. Reynolds of Liverpool, 1863, the complete deck of 52 colour lithographed playing cards (French suits), single figure non-standard courts, clubs representing South American characters, diamonds and hearts European style rulers or gentry, spades seems to show ordinary folk, pip cards with small caricatures within the pip signs, ace of hearts showing Prince Edward and Princess Alexandra, ace of spades with maker's details and images of Liverpool, ace of diamonds with two tavern scenes, lightly dusty, variable (generally light) toning, some minor marks or spots, few cards with slight brown staining to edges, ace of spades with 2 very small yellow marks centrally (and one to bottom edge), some corners very lightly worn, versos gilt cherub with bow and arrow on yellow, Prince of Wales's Feathers in top border, each card 95 x 65 mm, 32 cards mounted with photo corners onto 2 display boards, encapsulated in clear plastic (not examined out of boards), the remainder in a plastic bag, each board 53.5 x 41 cm QTY: (1) NOTE: Provenance: Collection of Dudley Ollis.

British Museum 1896,0501.940 (Schreiber, Eng 29) This pack was produced to commemorate the wedding of Prince Albert Edward (later King Edward VII) to Princess Alexandra of Denmark in 1863. Apparently this is the only pack produced by this otherwise unknown card maker.