"bresciane" (modanio)

Bresciane by modanio. 52 cards.
The Brescian pattern is the only italian pattern that invariably has 52 cards. You will not find a 40-card version of this pattern.
The design of this pattern is not unlike the bergamo pattern ( see:http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/11/bergamasche-modanio.html), viz: it has the same distinctive red & black coins, the cupid on the ace of cups & the 5 of coins has a starburst around the central coin.
other than that, this pattern is much smaller ( 8.5 x 4 cm) ,and the court figures are drawn in a more crude fashion ...

compare : http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/11/bergamasche-modanio.html,
http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/10/trentine-trent-pattern.html

Paris pattern , single faced

theese charming cards are from a divination set called "votre destin par les cartes"
 it comes with a bored, with instruction for spreading the cards, & a pair of miniature  decks of cards.
the cards are single faced, and nowhere on them is the mark of any maker, aldough it is printed by Dusserre of paris.

things to note:
I- the fan held on the queen of clubs. this feature disappeared when the pattern became double faced.
II- the little dog on the jack of spades. as above.
III-the king of diamonds is shown in profile, and has a medallion on him with the head of a cock.
IV- this feature is the most interesting one of this pattern, namely, the picture cards are named after,  historical personalities ( viz: david as the king of spades, caesar as that of diamonds, and lancelot as jack of clubs.

see also: http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/10/paris-pattern-cards.html

Bavarian pattern playing cards ( münchen type)

Bavarian pattern playing cards."kurze scharfe"
by FX schmid
24 cards.
there are two types of bacvarian pattern, the münchen type, and the Stralsund type.
they are very similar, with only very slight diffrences between them, the most obvious being that the ober of acorns has a  round shield on the munchen type, and a pointed one on the Stralsund type
for a münchen type deck, see:
 http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/11/schafkopf-bavarian-pattern-playing.html

Prussian pattern cards

These beautiful cards are, sadly, it appears, no longer printed.
from the tax stamp of the ace of hearts (1st picture, topmost row, 5th from left)  was used from 1920-1931*
tthe cards were printed in Altenburg, as you can see from the 7 of bells ( 1st pic, 2nd row, 1st card)
this deck is of 32 cards, printed by lithography
the seven of hearts ( 1st picture, topmost row, 1st from left) has a faint signature on it.
A curious feature of these cards is the fact that they have only been partially double faced.

A curious feature of these cards is the fact that they have only been partially double faced.
Aldough the court cards are properly double faced, the pip cards still have illustrations on their bottom half, but more of views of germany rather than amusing scenes.

saxony pattern cards, single vs double faced

The first deck shown is a traditional saxony patter, which is, in my opinion, the prettiest of the decks to come out of Germany.

the suit of bells (2nd picture) is particularly charming.
Note the Peeping Tom on the ace ( top row, 3rd card from left) 
on the 8 of bells ( 3rd pic, 2nd row, first card from the left), there is a depiction of chickens mating.
above them are strung some sausages. nice.....

sadly, this patern is almost extinct right now. if you buy a saxon pattern, today, you would end up with the "double faced "version...

when you compare the pictures, it is easy why this is called the double faced version.
aldough this version is admittedly easier to play with, it has lost some of the  detail, like the little pictures on the bottom of the cards, ( on the eight of bells, there are neither sausages nor trysting chickens) but still, some features remain (like the roman number X on tens, and the peeping tom on the ace of bells)