Okay, if you've read about the Great Peg Count Mystery you know that some of the items below technically can't be called Whist Counters (or Whist Markers), but I've got the Collecting Gene and I don't care. If you've got the Collecting Gene, too, you won't care either. Nor will you care that the page takes so long to load. (If you've just gotten here and wonder what's going on, click What the Hell is a Whist Counter? If you want some history, click Goodall versus De La Rue)
Basically what we're talking about here are the mechanical devices that were used to keep score in the card game of Whist, popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. Whist evolved into the the modern game of Contract Bridge. These counters, specifically the Goodall type, are collectable because of their elegant and functionally simple design, their variety, their fine craftsmanship and materials, and the satisfying little click they make when you flip the pegs up and down.
Click on the picture links to see examples of each type of counter
And to recapitulate:
What The Hell Is A Whist Counter?
What the Hell Is A Whist Marker?
Modern Uses For Whist Counters
The Best Counter in My Collection
If you're still curious about whist, visit my friend Laurent's whist page (remember him from the Great Whist Peg Count Mystery?) I'm not the only whist counter collector in the world -- there are two of us!
Copyright by Charles Mathes. All rights reserved.