Ancien Régime French Playing Cards (1757) – Double Deck Military Edition – Musée de l’Armée, Paris

This elegant double-deck set issued by the Musée de l’Armée in Paris is a refined homage to French military history of the Ancien Régime. The cards reproduce historical uniform plates of the Régiment d’Infanterie de Lorraine, following the regulation of 1757, a pivotal period in the standardisation of French military dress.

🔸 Title: French Playing Cards – 2 Jeux de 54 Cartes – Régiment d’Infanterie de Lorraine
🔸 Institution: Musée de l’Armée – Paris
🔸 Historical reference: Ancien Régime – Règlement de 1757
🔸 Type: Historical reproduction playing cards
🔸 Contents:
– 2 complete decks of 54 cards (108 cards total)
🔸 Theme: French military history – infantry regiments
🔸 Artwork: Based on period military illustrations and uniform plates
🔸 Card backs: Burgundy red with “Comédie-Française” marking (as issued)
🔸 Box: Original rigid museum presentation box with inner divider
🔸 Language: French
🔸 Made in: France
🔸 Publisher / Distributor: Réunion des Musées Nationaux / Musée de l’Armée
🔸 Safety marking: CE – HERON S.A. (as printed on box)

🔸 Condition:
Cards are in very good condition, clean, sharp, and well preserved, with no visible damage.
The original box shows noticeable wear consistent with age and storage, including edge wear, scuffs, and handling marks (clearly visible in photos).
A complete and solid museum-issued set.

🪶 Collector’s Note

Produced as a cultural and educational object rather than a commercial novelty, this set belongs to the tradition of museum-issued playing cards—objects designed to bridge history, art, and daily use. The inclusion of two full 54-card decks in a single presentation box makes this a particularly appealing item for collectors of military ephemera, historical playing cards, and French institutional editions.