Card game, Merlin's Casket, made in England, 1850-1899

A card game; black ink printed onto cream coloured cards. Comprises a 'DIRECTIONS FOR PLAYING THE GAME' card detailing the game play; a 'QUESTIONS' card with numbered questions printed in small typeface and listed in two columns; fifty slightly smaller cards, all the same size and each one numbered at the top with a list of twelve, numbered answers.

The scanned image shows six answer cards out of the total of fifty.

Given by Jeff Cooper

As printed on the card:

Merlin's Casket - Directions for Playing the Game

The person who represents Merlin, will spread the Cards in rotation, so that the eye may readily select the number required, then hand the cards of questions to whoever is desirous of obtaining an insight into the future; requesting them when they have fixed upon the question they desire to have answered, to give one number, then direct them to choose any number under 13. Merlin then adds one less than the number chosen to the number of the question, and the amount gives the number of the card on which the answer will be found, as the number chosen: for instance, the question asked in No.11. "If a husband will be handsome or not," and the number chosen 6, this will give No.16. and on that card at No.6. the answer will be found, viz., "He will be handsome and agreeable." When the amount of the number of the question and the number chosen exceeds 50, commence again from No.1, for instance the question asked is 46. "If you will succeed in your present undertaking," and the number chosen 6. this would give you 51, consequently the answer will be found on No.1 card at No.6, viz., "Perseverance will gain your end."

Merlin's Casket is a fortune telling game where the answer to the question may turn out to be straightforward or amusing.

As well as normal playing cards, many other card games became popular during the nineteenth century. These were relatively cheap and easy to produce and compared with many other games and toys available at this time, were affordable to a wider section of society.

Playing cards were often associated with gambling so other types of card games were devised for family and social use. Riddles and fortune telling were among the most popular.

B.537:1 to 52-2016