“The McKinnon List”
and
“The McKinnon-Seaney List”
The following lists are the original McKinnon List (1999), created by Dan and (the late) John McKinnon which was based on copyrights of back designs, and the “revised” McKinnon-Seaney List (2026), created by Kevan Seaney (using the McKinnon List as a guide), the latter being a list of all wide back designs produced from 1899-1924, based on the year they were PRINTED, according to date codes. Dates in parentheses denote the year they were FIRST AVAILABLE in stores according to advertisements of the day, up to the mid-1910s.
There is a distinct pattern between print date and release date: Decks produced between January and June were sold in stores that same year. Decks produced from July to December were available the following year. There are a few decks that we have date codes for that were advertised as “new” a few years later (LaFrance being an example. First date code is 1905, advertised as new in 1908).
Any back designs released after 1916 in parentheses are based solely on the month they were printed, assuming the same pattern was followed.
This is the most accurate list produced to date.
NOTE: I want to thank John and Dan McKinnon for producing the “original” list in the late 1990s. To me, they are the original “Congress Guys”. Because of their efforts, they inspired me to “update” the list with the help of the internet, other collectors, and good old-fashioned detective work. I also want to thank Colin Brady, Matt Schacht, Toby Edwards, Dave Seaney, and Lee Asher for their assistance and support in helping to put together this list by providing their knowledge and information.
Accuracy: 181 of 217 known (83.4%), and 149 of 181 (82.3%) listed correct by copyright
The McKinnon-Seaney List (2026)
Dates in bold denote earliest known printing date. Dates in parentheses denote decks were first available/sold in stores
1899
Clown
Good Night (Borderless)
Rookwood (Borderless)
Spinning Wheel (Borderless, left-facing)
Violet (only known deck missing its joker, cannot verify date code, copyright 1899)
1900
Berenice
The Bridge
Chameleon
Delft
Diana
Fishers Return
The Mill
Moon Fairy
Rookwood (Bordered)
Rotterdam Delft
Rube
Spinning Wheel (New design, right-facing, bordered)
Yacht
1901
Empress Josephine
George Washington (portrait)
King Edward VII
Martha Washington
Napoleon Bonaparte
Sitting Bull
1902
Anticipation
The Minuet
Music Hath Charms
Peaceful Vale
Prince of Wales
Princess of Wales
Priscilla (new name of Spinning Wheel)
1903
The Cavalier
Holland
Holly
The Hunt
Kaatje
Kite Time
Mistletoe
Moorish
Naples
Spring
Tambourine
Toboggan
1904
Chink
Eastlake
Egyptian (1905)
Geometric (1905)
Imperial (1905)
Into Cover (1905)
The Kill (1905)
Lily (1905)
Lily of the Valley (1905)
Majestic (1905)
The Meet (1905)
Military (1905)
Parisian (1905)
The Run (1905)
Shamrock (1905)
The Shower (1905)
Victory (1905)
Violet (1905) (New design)
Spanish (1905)
1905
At Sea (1906)
Autumn (portrait)
Cheefoo
In Days of Old
LaFrance (1908)
Mountaineer
Playmates
Rose (1906)
Still Alarm
Summer
Village Blacksmith
1906
Captain Kidd (1907)
Colonial Girl (1907)
George Washington (new design)
In Old Madrid (1907)
Knuckle Down (1907)
Martha Washington (new design)
Moonlight (1907)
The Only Pebble (1907)
Pocahontas (1907)
1907
A Dead Heat (1908)
An Old Fashioned Girl
Beauty’s Mirror (1908)
Berenice (new design)
Cupid’s Secret (1908)
The Dancers
Dolores
Erin (girl)
Expectation
Heinie (1908)
Jerry
Julia Marlowe
Laughing Water
Minuet (1909) (new design)
Miss Demure
The Old, Old Story
Sundown
1908
Beacon Light
Cornell
Flirtation
Fortuna
George Washington (new design)
Harvard
Iroquois (1909)
Martha Washington (new design)
Nymph
Oasis
Petite
Princeton
Yale
1909
Autumn (girl w/ flowers) (1910)
Chums
Cupid’s Message
Dixie Girl
Faithful (1910)
Hopeful (1910)
Lincoln-Student
Michigan (1910)
Moonbeams
Norma
Pansy
Pennsylvania
Polly
Reveries
Stung
The Trail
The Widow
1910
Annette (1911)
Beatrice
College Girl
Dutch Mill (1911)
Early Morn (1911)
Eventide
“Gee” (1911)
Grace (1911)
Grand Canyon (1911)
The Honeymoon (1911)
Louis XVI Tapestry
Marion (1911)
Mother’s Love (1911)
Peace
Rural Life
Shooting The Rapids
The Silvery Moon (1911)
Sunrise (1911)
Virginia (1911)
Yankee Girl
Yes or No (1911)
1911
“1776” (1912)
Aviation Meet (1912)
Five AM (1912)
Gobelin Tapestry (1912)
June (1912)
Morning Dip (1912)
October (1912)
Old Mill (cannot verify – no example to date – copyright 1911 – same back as Dutch Mill)
Pierette (1912)
Ruth (1912)
1912
Erin (Castle) (1913)
Gipsy Queen
Rowdy
Woodland
Venice
1913
Alt Heidelberg (1914)
Art
Curiosity
Evening Shadows
The Forager
Golden Sunset
Harvest Moon (1914)
Helen (1914)
Jane
Marcia
Music
South Seas
Spinning Wheel (new design)
Storm Clouds
Valendam (1914)
Venetian Lagoon
Viola (1914)
Wanda’s Wooing
1914
The Bayou
Gala Day
Mona Lisa
Oaks and Elms
The Pool
Reflections
Rembrandt
Pocahontas (new design)
1915
Duke
Evening Glow
George Washington (on horseback)
Homeward (1916)
Oriental (1916)
Roses (1916)
Queen
The Trooper
Volendam
Winter
Youth (1916)
1916
First Narrow/Whist/Bridge size decks released
1917
Apache (1918)
Birches
By Heck! (1918)
Chloe (1918)
Janice (1918)
Liberty (1918)
1918
Erin (harp)
1919
Poetry (1920)
1920
Airedale
Chief (1921)
Desert
The Ripples
Solitude (1921)
1921
Collie (1922)
October (forest) (1922)
Steady
1922
Harbor
1923
Autumn (forest) (1924)