1883 Murphy Varnish Transformation Playing Cards. The restoration of a magnificent piece of art
Earlier this year, Michael Scott (Home Run Games) started his “restoration adventure”. He decided to take emblematic decks from a distant past and reprint them fully restored. After two successful campaigns with the 1876 Triplicate and Quadruplicate decks, his last campaign revolves around a very special set of cards: the 1883 MURPHY VARNISH Transformation Deck.
Franklyn Murphy, former Governor of New Jersey and founder of Murphy Varnish, commissioned Andrew Dougherty an advertising deck for his company. Dougherty printed in 1883 a transformation deck with colorful and humorous touches that , over time, has become an icon for collectors all over the world. Even the famous Hochman Encyclopedia of American Playing Cards uses it on its cover.
Michael has had access to the complete set of cards for the restoration of which is, in my humble opinion, the most beautiful of all restored so far, because of its designs and colors and for being a transformation deck, which gives it even more interest and originality.
As happened in the previous campaigns, the deck is offered in three different tuck case versions. The Standard Edition recreates the original in a modern tuck box. The Limited edition, with a print-run of 1883 decks, has a much more colorful design, a vintage long tongue case, a custom paper wrap and a numbered seal. The Original Edition, much closer to the 1883 edition with a print-run of 883 decks, comes in a two-piece box with two numbered seals in the case and in the deck. All the decks will be printed by the USPCC using high-quality Bee stock. The Limited and the Original editions will be accompanied by respective metal steel and golden cards with numbered certificates of authenticity.
There are still several days till the end of the campaign and it is almost funded so to visit the project website and raise your pledge.
Good luck!
