Article: 008936

Country: United Kingdom

Manufacturer: The Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards, London (Thos. De La Rue & Co., Ltd.)

Transantarctic Expedition 1958. 52 + JJ, complete. Color line block (Ace of Spades = relief halftone, backs = photolithography), 89x58 mm, round corners, 2 English index marks. Backs: Edmund Hillary and Vivian Fuchs join hands, in the background sledge dogs and a Sno-Cat, dark-blue border. 1958.

Lit.: Fournier I S. 233; vgl. Berry [1995] II 23 [698]; Thorpe [2001] S. 76-77.

The deck commemorates the first overland crossing of the Antarctic continent over the South Pole. The British explorer Vivian Fuchs was the leader of the expedition and the New Zealander Edmund Hillary, the conqueror of the Everest, prepared the way. Ace of Spades shows the portray of the company's master W. E. Luke. Limited edition of 2,100 decks.

Slightly damaged original cardboard box of the WCMPC for a double deck, original tax wrapper and De La Rue poster stamp, control ticket, mint.

$ 62.26