1908 Charles H. Kerr Socialist Presidential Election Playing Card Deck

Sold For:

$240

Year:

1908

Auction:

2016 Fall

Lot #:

2194

Category:

Non-Sports Cards/Sheets/Card Artwork

Superb complete playing-card deck produced by Charles H. Kerr in 1908 and featuring images related to the 1908 Presidential election, in which Eugene V. Debs was the party's candidate for the presidency. The set consists of fifty-two cards plus a joker, and the reverse of each card is designed with the slogan "Working Men Unite!" underneath "Socialist Playing Cards." The twelve court cards are original caricatures by R.H. Chaplin where the Kings represent the trusts, the Queens represent the capitalist virtues, and the jacks represent the guardians of society. Although the Kings are not identified, it is easy to see that the oil trust is John D. Rockefeller and the steel trust is Andrew Carnegie. Most of the remaining pip cards stand for various types of workingmen and women and each has a corresponding rhyme written by Mary E. Marcy. Condition of the cards is 64% Ex to Ex-Mt and 36% Vg to Vg-Ex (including a few lower). Also included is the original box, which has been taped back together and is in overall poor condition. This is a fascinating complete playing-card set that will be of great interest to nonsport-card collectors as well as collectors of political and historical items. Total: 53 cards. Reserve $200. Estimate (open).