CONGRESS 404 AND 606 “LACQUER BACKS”
On June 28, 1881, Russell, Morgan, and Co. printed their first decks. The Congress line of playing cards bore the stock numbers 404, which had plain edges, and 606, or “Extra Congress”, which had gold edges. These are some of the most sought-after decks for collectors, and most are very hard to come by, especially the 404 variety. On this page you will find every known design, variation, and color from 1881 to around 1900. Special thanks to the Chicago Playing Card Collectors (CPCC) for cataloging these decks, and Matt Schacht for supplying many of the images shown here.
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Geometric (Purple/Gold) 1880s
Geometric (Pink/Gold) 1880s
Geometric (Red/Gold) 1880s
Geometric (Blue/Gold) 1880s
Geometric (Red/Silver) 1880s
Found in 404 Variety
Geometric (Red/Gold) 1880s
Geometric (Red/Gold) 1880s
Geometric (Black/Gold) 1880s
Geometric (Black/Gold) 1880s
Bear (Dark Red/Gold) 1890s
Only found in 64 card pinochle decks
Bear (Blue/Gold) 1890s
Only found in 64 card pinochle decks
Bear (Black/Silver) 1890s
Only found in 64 card pinochle decks
Butterfly (White/Copper) 1890s
Butterfly (Orange/Copper) 1890s
Butterfly (Yellow/Copper) 1890s
Butterfly (Green/Yellow) 1890s
Butterfly (Dk. Green/Copper) 1890s
Butterfly, (Red/Gold) 1890s
Dragon (Red/Gold) 1890s
Dragon (Aqua/Gold) 1890s
Dragon (Black/Gold) 1890s
Dragonflies (Yellow-Orange/Silver) 1890s
Dragonflies (Dk.Green/Metallic Purple) 1890s
Dragonflies (White/Metallic Blue) 1890s
Dragonflies (Maroon/Silver) 1890s
Frog (Dark Red/Metallic Green) 1880s-1890s
Frog (Dk.Green/Metallic Green) 1880s-1890s
Frog (Yellow-Orange/Metallic Green) 1880s-1890s
Frog (White/Metallic Green) 1880s-1890s
Frog (Orange/Copper) 1880s-1890s
Frog (Dk.Green-Aqua/Gold) 1880s-1890s
Grasshoppers (Dk.Red/Gold) 1880s-1890s
Grasshoppers (Dk.Red/Copper) 1880s-1890s
Grasshoppers (Dk.Blue/Gold) 1880s-1890s
Grasshoppers (Dk.Blue/Silver) 1880s-1890s
Grasshoppers (Yellow/Gold) 1880s-1890s
Hummingbird (Red/Copper) 1880s-1890s
Hummingbird (Dark Blue/Gold) 1880s-1890s
Hummingbird (Dark Blue/Copper) 1880s-1890s
Hummingbird (Dk. Blue/Metallic Green) 1880s-1890s
Hummingbird (Red/Gold) 1880s-1890s
Hummingbird (Yellow/Metallic Green, also Gold) 1880s-1890s
Hummingbird (Black/Silver) 1880s-1890s
Hummingbird (Brown/Gold) 1880s-1890s
Japanese Lady (Dark Red/Metallic Green) 1890s
Japanese Lady (Dark Red/Silver) 1890s
Japanese Lady (Dark Blue/Gold) 1890s
Japanese Lady (Yellow/Metallic Green) 1890s
Japanese Lady (Red/Gold) 1890s
Lighthouse (Dark Green/Gold) 1880s
Lighthouse (Black/Gold) 1880s
Monkey (Dark Red/Copper) 1890s
Monkey (Dark Blue/Silver) 1890s
Monkey (Dark Blue/Metallic Green) 1890s
Monkey (Yellow/Aqua) 1890s
Monkey (Yellow/Metallic Green) 1890s
Moonlight (Dark Blue/Gold) 1880s-1890s
Owl (Dark Red/Copper) 1880s-1890s
Owl (Red/Copper) 1880s-1890s
Owl (Dark Red/Silver) 1880s-1890s
Owl (Dark Blue/Gold) 1880s-1890s
Owl (Yellow/Copper) 1880s-1890s
Owl (Blue/Green) 1880s-1890s
Starlight (Dark Red/Gold) 1880s-1890s
Starlight (Dark Blue/Gold) 1880s-1890s
Starlight (Black/Gold) 1880s-1890s
Sea Life (Dark Red/Gold) 1880s-1890s
Storm (Dark Blue/Gold) 1880s-1890s
Storm (Black/Gold) 1880s-1890s
Storm (Green/Gold) 1880s-1890s
Storm (Black/Gold, No Dog) 1880s-1890s
Rare variation, typically 404 variety
Storm (Dark Blue/Gold, No Dog) 1880s-1890s
Rare variation, typically 404 variety
Sunlight (Red/Gold) 1880s-1890s
Sunrise (Red/Gold) 1880s-1890s
Sunrise (Orange/Copper) 1880s-1890s
Web (Red/Gold) 1890s
Web (Dark Blue/Gold) 1890s
Web (Black/Gold) 1890s
