# playing cards

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-cards/5140>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 4, 1999, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-cards/5140 "1999-12-04T06:48:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 1999, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-cards/5140/1 "1999-12-04T06:48:00Z")

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Where did the drawings on the face cards of a “traditional” 52-card deck originate? I am speaking here of the “suicide king”, “man with the axe”, etc.

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 1999, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-cards/5140/2 "1999-12-06T20:09:00Z")

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France, according to the Urban Legends References Page (snopes).  
[http://www.snopes.com/errata/cardking.htm](http://www.snopes.com/errata/cardking.htm)

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