The Ace of Spades

I was playing cards recently with a new pack and I noticed that the Ace of Spades had an elaborate design which differed in style to the rest of the pack.

Recalling that this is often the case, I looked into the card's history. I discovered that an ornate pattern was first printed onto the Ace of Spades back in the 16th century. At this time, the English monarchy was taxing playing cards to raise revenue, so the top card (in most card games, Spades is the top suit) was stamped with the official mark of the relevant tax office to show that duty had been paid.

Interestingly, at the beginning of the 18th century, tax on a pack was a massive half a crown (an eighth of a pound) so card makers were not allowed to print the Ace of Spades themselves but had to obtain the special printed versions from their local tax office!

I wonder how many of you will now search out a pack and, like me, look at the Ace of Spades with a fresh eye.