Spanish Playing cards.

Spanish pattern, 40 cards, La Ducale

The spanish pattern is noted for a feature caled "la pinta"
It is a series of breaks in the black line that frames the card. for the suit of cups, there is one gap.
for the suit of swords, there are two, for batons three, but in cons, line is unbroken
by this feature, the suits may be discerned without looking at the whole card.

Note the jack of coins. in the background , there is a lamb. this feature is getting rarer and rarer.
On the knight of cups, there used to be the phrase "AHI VA!" ( whch means something like "Good heavens!) . the origin of this phrase is unknown.

( my apologies. there has been a mix-up, and the positions of the knights of coins and cups has been transposed.)

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see also:  http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/10/piacentine-modanio.html
                http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/11/castilian-pattern-by-fournier.html
a sardinian copy of a "luxury" 19thc. spanish deck.
http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/11/sarde-modanio.html
a luxury version of this:
http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/11/los-dos-tigres-fournier.html