c1883 Antique Russell & Morgan Navy 303 Playing Cards 52/52 Original Angel Back For Sale

This is an exceptionally rare, historically significant piece of American paper ephemera: a complete 52-card deck of Navy No. 303 Playing Cards, manufactured by The Russell & Morgan Co. in Cincinnati, Ohio, dating to the early 1880s (circa 1883). Russell & Morgan was the immediate precursor to the United States Playing Card Company (USPCC), making this deck an indispensable holy grail for serious playing card historians and collectors.

Deck Highlights:

• Complete 52/52 Deck: All 52 core cards are present. (Please note: Early editions from this specific line did not universally include a Joker).

• Early Variant Ace of Spades: Features the beautiful, highly detailed Statue of Freedom engraving nestled inside the central spade pip, flanked by detailed 19th-century naval frigates. Includes the early, smaller corner style \"A\" and spade indices introduced around 1883.

• Original Angel Back Design: Stunning mirror-image symmetry featuring four corner angel figures emerging from classical acanthus leaf scrollwork, rendered in the factory\'s signature premium chocolate-brown ink.

• Original Box: Comes housed in its incredibly scarce, gold-and-blue original Russell & Morgan factory box, complete with the rare internal cardboard slide tray.

• Cards: In Good to Very Good antique condition. The cards are structurally sound, flat, and remarkably crisp given they are over 140 years old. There are no major creases, structural tears, or heavy soil. The printing ink remains dark, and the fine engraving details are highly legible. Expect minor edge aging, light corner softening, and natural patina consistent with careful handling over a century ago.

• Box: The original internal slide (tray) is present and functional. The outer gold-and-blue decorative case is in fragile, deteriorating condition, showing heavy antique wear, severe structural softening, surface paper loss, and age-related deterioration. Both the top and bottom end flaps are missing entirely from the outer sleeve.