Gettone sul gioco del whist

17 Febbraio, 2022

Salve

Si tratta del ½ Penny in rame (28 mm) Mathews on the game of Whist emesso nel 1818 dal Regno Unito.

Sul diritto una figura femminile drappeggiata a metà che guarda a destra e ha la mano destra che alza il dito alle labbra (figura allegorica del Silenzio).

Al rovescio l’iscrizione su otto righe che richiama una regola del gioco (in italiano: GLI ERRORI POSSONO ESSERE RETTIFICATI IN QUALSIASI MOMENTO, ANCHE GLI ONORI SE CHIAMATI IN TEMPO, MA NON DOPO CHE LA BRISCOLA È STATA SCOPERTA.)

18 Febbraio, 2022

Nel 1804 è stato pubblicato un importante libro inglese sul whist, Advice to the Young Whist Player di Thomas Matthews (spesso scritto Mathews). Verso il 1818, un artigiano di Birmingham Edward Thomason realizzò una serie di 24 gettoni, ognuno con una citazione tratta dal libro. Come è prevedibile, la maggior parte dei gettoni presentano suggerimenti per il gioco del whist.

01: HOYLE SO FAR FROM BEING ABLE TO TEACH THE GAME WAS NOT FIT TO SIT DOWN WITH A
        THIRD RATE PLAYER OF THE PRESENT DAY. M. PAGE 47.
02: THERE ARE 4 PENALTIES ON A REVOKE TO TAKE 3 TRICKS OR DEDUCT 3 TRICKS FROM THEIR
        SCORE OR ADD 3 TO THEIR OWN AND THE REVOKERS CANNOT WIN BUT MUST REMAIN AT 9.
03: THE TRUMP SHOULD BE EXPOSED UNTIL THE DEALER HAS PLAYED BUT NOT AFTERWARDS.
        THE SUIT IN TRUMP MAY BE ASKED AT ANY TIME.
04: NO REVOKE CAN BE CLAIM'D AFTER THE CARDS ARE CUT FOR THE NEXT DEAL.
05: THE PRINCIPLE OF THE TENACE IS THE GAME OF POSITION AND FINES(S)E THE ART OF
        PLACING YOURSELF IN THE MOST ADVANTAGEOUS ONE.
06: [as listing]
07: IF ONE OMITS PLAYING TO A TRICK AND HOLDS A CARD TOO MANY THE ADVERSARIES
        MAY CALL A NEW DEAL
08: IF ONE HAS WON THE TRICK AND LEADS AGAIN BEFORE HIS PARTNER HAS PLAYED TO IT,
        THE ADVERSARY MAY OBLIGE HIS PARTNER TO WIN IT IF HE CAN.
09: IF ONE HAS BUT 12 CARDS AND THE OTHER THREE THEIR PROPER NUMBER THE DEAL IS
        GOOD AND HE MUST PAY FOR ANY RENOUNCE, BUT IF EITHER HAVE 14 CARDS THE DEAL IS LOST.
10: IF A DEALER DOES NOT TURN UP THE LAST CARD THE DEAL IS LOST
11: EACH HAS A RIGHT BEFORE HE PLAYS TO CALL UPON THE PLAYERS TO PLACE THEIR
        PLAYED CARDS BEFORE THEM
12: CARDS THROWN DOWN CANNOT BE TAKEN UP BUT MAY BE CALLED BY THE ADVERSARIES.
13: duplicate of 05
14: THE PARTY WHO REMINDS HIS PARTNER TO CALL AFTER THE TRUMP IS TURNED UP
        FORFEITS A POINT.
15: THE ADVERSARY MAY CALL A NEW DEAL IF THE CARD IS TURNED UP IN DEALING,
        AND IF A CARD IS FACED IT IS DECIDEDLY A NEW DEAL.
16: IN THE LAWS WHERE ONE IS CALL'D UPON TO PLAY TRUMP AND OMITS DOING SO HE
        HAVING ONE THE ADVERSARY MAY DEMAND THE CARDS RETRACED AND THE TRUMP PLAYED.
17: IF ONE PLAYS OUT OF HIS TURN TO HIS PARTNERS LEAD THE LAST PLAYER MAY PLAY
        BEFORE THE FIRST, IF TO HIS ADVERSARYS HIS PARTNER MAY BE PREVENTED FROM WINNING IT.
18: IF ONE PLAYS OUT OF HIS TURN THAT CARD MAY BE CALLED FOR AT ANY TIME AND THE
        PERSON WHOSE TURN IT IS MAY BE CALLED UPON TO PLAY ANY SUIT THE ADVERSARY CHOOSES.
19: IF ONE CALLS AT ANY SCORE BUT 8 A NEW DEAL MAY BE DEMANDED. ALSO IF ONE CALLS
        WITHOUT 2 HONORS OR THE OTHER ANSWERS WITHOUT ONE
20: IF ONE CALLS AFTER HE HAS PLAY'D THE ADVERSARY MAY CALL A NEW DEAL.
21: IF A REVOKE IS CLAIMED THE ADVERSARIES FORFEIT THE PENALTY IF THEY MIX THE CARDS
22: AT SHORT WHIST THERE IS SCARCELY ANY FINES(S)E IN THE 1st DEAL WHICH IS NOT
       JUSTIFIABLE, WHEN THE FAILURE LEAVES YOU AT 3 INSTEAD OF 4
23: A REVOKE IS NOT GOOD UNTIL THE PARTY HAS PLAY'D AGAIN OR THE TRICK TURN'D
        BUT THE ADVERSARY MAY CALL FOR THE BEST OR WORST OF ANY SUIT DURING THE DEAL.
24: A PLAYER MAY CALL A CARD FROM HIS ADVERSARY IF HE NAMES IT, SHOULD HE NAME
        WRONG HE MAY HAVE HIS BEST OR WORST OF ANY SUIT CALLED TO BE PLAYED DURING THE DEAL.

La serie di 24 gettoni dorati è stata emessa in un astuccio cilindrico di metallo alto 47mm, con il coperchio di 30 mm di diametro sul quale erano raffigurate quattro carte da gioco sovrapposte.