SPECIAL DECKS

These decks are in a category all their own. Shown here are the “666 Multi”, the “Harry Kellar” deck, and the “Schmidlapp Decks”. These are some of the rarest and most difficult to find.

666 MULTI

“The Original Frankendeck”

In 1904, The United States Playing Card Company’s Congress line of cards created a unique deck featuring 53 cards of different back designs available during that time. They used a new stock number, 666, and named it “Multi”. These decks were produced through the mid-1910s and they are one of (if not) the most elusive and desirable of the Congress brand. 

Advertisement from Dec. 13, 1904
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“A. Crusius of the United States Playing Card Company was in town (Boston) during the past week. Mr. Crusius was showing the trade for the first time an entirely new edition of Congress cards being the Congress Initial backs consisting of all the letters in the alphabet. This series is printed in rich colors and gold pronounced the greatest hit of the season sales are very gratifying. Also, an innovation which will be known as No 666 Multi. Each pack is composed of fifty two cards and joker, no two backs being alike, all illuminated picture and club backs. These will particularly appeal to solitaire players and souvenir collectors. Mr. Crusius was accompanied by D. W. Timberlake who is looking after the retail trade in the interest of the jobbers.”

(Sale price was 60¢, which is about $19.50 today)

​Pictured below are Multi decks owned by Kevan S., Matt S., and Colin B.

Kevan’s 1904 Multi Deck

(Original Version)

Matt’s 1915 Multi Deck 

Colin’s 1904 Multi Deck

“The Harry Kellar Deck”

Information from Wikipedia

Harry Kellar (July 11, 1849 – March 10, 1922) was an American magician who presented large stage shows during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Kellar was a predecessor of Hary Houdini and a successor of Robert Heller and Isaiah Hughes, under whom he apprenticed. He was often referred to as the “Dean of American Magicians” and performed extensively on five continents. One of his most memorable stage illusions was the levitation of a girl advertised as the “Levitation of Princess Karnac”, copied from an illusion invented by John Nevil Maskelyne, which was later bought by Harry Blackstone, Sr.

He was a longtime customer of the Martinka Magic Company, which built many of his illusions and sets, including the “Blue Room”. (end wikipedia)

(From an anonymous collector and friend)

This deck must have been designed for a specific purpose in his magic act as each card is double-faced with a specific value on each side and no back design. The Congress capitol jokers have Treasury jokers on their backs. There must be more than one deck known because I have one and it is not the one from the auction mentioned. (Note: A magic auction site sold what we thought was the only known deck)

The “Schmidlapp Decks”

Jacob Godfrey Schmidlapp who was a prominent citizen of Cincinnati and had USPCC create special decks as Christmas gifts in 1917, 1918 and 1919. He had four children that survived infancy, two sons – William Horace (1883) and Carl Jacob (1888) – and two daughters  – Emma Louise (1881) and Charlotte Rose (1887).  Both Daughters had died in unfortunate accidents by the time the 1917 deck as produced.

Special thanks to Toby Edwards and Matt Schacht for this information about Mr. Schmidlapp.