The
ace of spades (also known as the
spadille) is traditionally speaking the highest card in the deck of
playing cardA playing card is a piece of specially prepared heavy paper, thin card, or thin plastic, figured with distinguishing motifs and used as one of a set for playing card games...
s, although the actual value of the card varies from game to game. In popular myth and folklore, it is also known as the "
death card".
The ornate design of the Ace of Spades, common in packs today, stems from the 18th century, when certain duties on
playing cardA playing card is a piece of specially prepared heavy paper, thin card, or thin plastic, figured with distinguishing motifs and used as one of a set for playing card games...
s were exacted by the monarchy.
The
ace of spades (also known as the
spadille) is traditionally speaking the highest card in the deck of
playing cardA playing card is a piece of specially prepared heavy paper, thin card, or thin plastic, figured with distinguishing motifs and used as one of a set for playing card games...
s, although the actual value of the card varies from game to game. In popular myth and folklore, it is also known as the "
death card".
Design
The ornate design of the Ace of Spades, common in packs today, stems from the 18th century, when certain duties on
playing cardA playing card is a piece of specially prepared heavy paper, thin card, or thin plastic, figured with distinguishing motifs and used as one of a set for playing card games...
s were exacted by the monarchy. Stamp duty, an idea imported to England by
William IIIWilliam III was a sovereign Prince of Orange by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland, and as William II over Scotland...
, was extended to playing cards in 1711; this taxation lasted until 1960.
Over the years a number of methods were used to show that duty had been paid. From 1712 onwards, one of the cards in the pack, usually the Ace of Spades, was marked with a hand stamp. In 1765 hand stamping was replaced by the printing of official Ace of Spades by the Stamp Office, incorporating the royal coat of arms. In 1828 the Duty Ace of Spades (known as "Old Frizzle") was printed to indicate a reduced duty of a
shillingThe shilling is a unit of currency used in current and former English Commonwealth countries and still used in countries which have become republics, such as Kenya. The word shilling comes from schilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of...
had been paid.
The system was changed again in 1862 when official threepenny duty wrappers were introduced and although the makers were free to use whatever design they wanted, most chose to keep the ornate Ace of Spades that is popular today. The Ace of Spades is thus used to show the card manufacturer's information.
War
The Ace of Spades has been employed, on numerous occasions, in the theatre of war. In the
Second World WarWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the soldiers of the
506th Parachute Infantry RegimentThe 506th Infantry Regiment is a unit assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division. During World War II, the unit was designated the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment...
of the
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
101st Airborne DivisionThe 101st Airborne Division — the "Screaming Eagles"— is a U.S. Army modular infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for action during the Normandy Landings and in the Battle of the Bulge...
were marked with the spades symbol painted on the sides of their helmets. In this capacity, it was used to represent good luck, due to its fortunate connotations in card playing. All four card suits were used for ease of identification of regiments within the airborne division following the confusion of a large scale combat airborne operation. Battalions within the regiments were denoted with tic marks or dots, marked from top clockwise; Headquarters at the twelve o'clock position, 1st Battalion at the three o'clock, et cetera.
Some twenty years later, the Ace of Spades was again used by American soldiers — this time as a psychological weapon in the
Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975...
. US troops believed that Vietnamese ancient traditions held the symbolism of the spade to mean death and ill-fortune and in a bid to scare away
NLFThe Vietcong , or National Liberation Front, was a political organisation and army in South Vietnam and Cambodia that fought the United States and South Vietnamese governments during the Vietnam War . It had both guerrilla and regular army units, as well as a network of cadres who organized...
soldiers without firefight, it was common practice to leave an Ace of Spades on the bodies of killed Vietnamese and even to litter the forested grounds and fields with the card. This custom was believed to be so effective, that the
United States Playing Card CompanyThe United States Playing Card Company, started in 1867, produces and distributes playing cards, including Kem, Bee, Bicycle, Aviator, Maverick, Tuxedo, Hoyle, Tally Ho, plus other playing card accessories, like poker chips...
was asked to supply crates of that single card in bulk. The crates were often marked with "
Bicycle Secret Weapon".
The Ace of Spades, while not a symbol of superstitious fear to the NLF, did help the morale of American soldiers. It was not unheard of for US soldiers and Marines to stick this card in their helmet band as a sort of anti-peace sign. The Ace is also said to represent lost love.
More recently, in 2003 a deck of
Most-wanted Iraqi playing cardsIn the 2003 invasion of Iraq by a United States-led coalition, the U.S. military developed a set of playing cards to help troops identify the most-wanted members of President Saddam Hussein's government, mostly high-ranking Baath Party members or members of the Revolutionary Command Council...
issued to U.S. soldiers during
Operation Iraqi FreedomThe 2003 invasion of Iraq, was led by the United States, backed by British forces and smaller contingents from Australia, Denmark, Poland and Spain. Four countries participated with troops during the initial invasion phase, which lasted from March 20 to May 1...
; each card had the picture of a wanted Iraqi official on it.
Saddam HusseinSaddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the President of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
got the nickname "Ace of Spades" as his was the face which adorned that card.
See also
- List of poker hand nicknames
- Spades
{| style=" background: #fff; width: 100px; height: 130px; border: 1px solid #000; text-align: center;" |- | |}Spades is one of the four suits found in the "international" deck of playing cards. The standard "international" deck uses the French suit system.In bridge, it ranks highest out of the...
- Playing Cards
- The Black Spot
The Black Spot is a fictional literary device invented by Robert Louis Stevenson for his novel Treasure Island. In the book, a pirate is presented with a "black spot" to officially pronounce a verdict of guilt or judgment. It consists of a piece of paper or card, with a circular black spot in the...
External links