In what is now Quebec Canada, then called New France, they ran out of money in the form of coins delivered from France. So in 1685 one of the officials decided to gather up all the playing cards in the colony and mark them as legal tender. When the coins arrived from France the cards would be exchanged and then destroyed. While originally supposed to be a temporary measure, the shortage of coinage continued and much to the dismay of the King of France so did the playing card money. The practice got out of hand and soon inflation took over making a bad situation even worse. The practice finally ended in the 1750s shortly before France lost the battle of the plains of Abraham to the British. The fact that these were issued as early as 1685 makes them among the earliest forms of paper currency to have circulated in North America. On one side of the card was the suit with the appropriate number or a face (Jack, Queen, or King). On the other side was the handwritten denomination and official signature. The face cards were the most valuable then, and judging by the auction results they still are. I won an example of this playing card money yesterday in an auction. I am not sure but I think that 'Bufeck' might be the name of the official. This example predates 1714 because after this date simple blank cards (with the signature added) of various sizes were used instead of playing cards. The size of the card reflected its monetary value. I would have liked to get a King or Queen, but they went for more than I wanted to spend. Playing card money was also used in France. Examples of these are extremely rare. I hope that you find these as interesting as I do. French Colonial Issue Playing Card Money, Ten of Spades with handwritten french text.
Great addition to any collection! I'm envious. I've just learned last week that playing card money was used in Suriname as well. Thanks for sharing this!
