STUFF RE: PLAYING CARDS

2.The most expensive pack of playing cards in the world is owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. It dates from the late 14th century, and is thought to be the oldest known complete deck in existence. The museum paid over $140,000 for the cards in a 1983 auction.

3. Card game Solitaire — a popular diversion for bored office workers for decades — is thought to be the most-played computer game in the world. A 1994 Washington Post article details Solitaire’s development motivation: apparently, when designing Windows 3.0, Microsoft execs wanted to include a simple game that would relax computing newcomers. And what’s more familiar than a pack of cards? The game also provided a surreptitious way to train users in the click-and-drag concepts fundamental to the new age of graphical user interfaces without them feeling patronized or getting bored.

4. The Jack, Queen, King, and Ace designs used on modern cards date back to 16th century France, and have changed little over the years. For a time, the four kings were nicknamed after popular (or notorious) real-world rulers: Alexander the Great for Clubs, Caesar for Diamonds, Charlemagne for Hearts, and Biblical ruler King David for Spades. The practice died out in the French Revolution, along with some real-life kings and queens.