Metal Whist Counters

(If you've gotten here by accident and don't know what's going on, click WHAT THE HELL IS A WHIST COUNTER? If you don't know the difference between a Whist Counter and a Whist Marker, click WHAT THE HELL IS A WHIST MARKER?)

Inevitably, class differences gave rise to whist counters for players of different levels of income. While Japanese whist counters in lacquer and ivory were very stylish, nothing spoke social status like precious metals. While there are probably examples in gold besides the one pair of Faberge markers that I know about (no, they are not in my collection and I hope to God they never become available because I really don't want to have to rob a bank), examples in silver abound.

		London 1897-98
		Also London 1897-98, a different maker. Perhaps the pegs had been shoe polished black originally to pair with a set with white ivory pegs, but the color has mostly worn off
		Birmingham 1898-99 and handsomely monogrammed
		London 1892-3 and a more important maker, Joseph Preedy. Note the enamel tabs. This counters measures only 1 1/4 x 2 1/8

Metal could also masquerade effectively as something nobler than it actually was. Counters of the type below must have been very impressive when they were new. The birds were originally gilded to stand out from the silvered surface. This piece also has an impressive weight and Shibayama ivory tabs, but when you study these it is apparent that their quality leaves much to be desired (see Japanese Shibayama Counters for a comparison) -- my hunch is that these were made in Great Britain to capitalize on the fad for all things Oriental. The material is spelter or white metal, a cheap alloy, which was simply poured into a mold.

Card games were also popular in France, which produced numerous innovative designs for counters in metal such as the ones below. According to card expert Thierry Depaulis, these counters were for the game of Piquet and the mechanism was patented in 1866 (See Great Peg Count Mystery) -- more than 20 years before Goodall perfected the hidden hinge design.

	Breveté S.G.D.G are French patent marks, and the marker confirms the origin of this piece: G. Samson & Cie, 21 Rue du Temple, Paris. I haven't been able to identify the mark, which may have been the maker.
	The mate to the counter above. Also numbered to 50 and bearing the "BB" mark.
	A traditional French fleur-de-lys motif decorates this piece, numbered to 50, which bears another French patent term: Déposé. Note how the tabs are folded together -- as opposed to pierced and hinged as in the examples above.
	This model, bearing Spades and Clubs and an S.G.D.G. mark, has a hinging arrangement different than any of the ones above -- but of course it had to. What else were they patenting but the unique hinging? I have seen at least three other hinging arrangements in French metal counters, all bearing patent marks. Presumably the mate to this piece had silver colored tabs instead of gold ones, marked no doubt with Hearts and Diamonds.

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