I apologise for misleading everyone, I originally scanned the wrong card, the one with the framelines, which was not issued in February. That is now sorted out and the right card is showing. However, in my defence, I freely admit that this set is amazingly confusing, and it is no wonder that I have not featured it before. It first appears in our original Wills reference book, RB.16, which is part IV, and was published in 1950, as :
152. 52 BIRDS OF BRILLIANT PLUMAGE (adopted title). Size 63 x 35 m/m. Unnumbered. Fronts per Fig. 80, lithographed in colour, with Playing Card inset. Issued between 1910-15.
"FOUR ACES" ISSUE.
A. Backs in green with illustration of two "Four Aces" packets."PIRATE" ISSUES - backs in blue, with illustrations of two "Pirate" packets
B. Border to fronts, light blue backs
C. No border to fronts, darker blue back.GENERAL OVERSEAS ISSUES
D. Backs in red, star circle and leaves design (see Fig. 22 page 58) [in a newsletter, scroll down to Tuesday, 18th March 2025]
E. Plain backs, anonymous issue.Similar series issued by Ogden, Player and with "Cigarettes Copain". Although in every case the same 52 subjects were used, in some issues the birds have been redrawn, and the playing card insets entirely reshuffled.
This is slightly amended in part V, RB.19, issued in 1951, which gives just the dates of issue, namely :
152. BIRDS OF BRILLIANT PLUMAGE - see pages 131-132.
Series A was issued in February 1924; series B and C in November, 1914 and February, 1916; series E in February, 1914. Similar series issued by Peninsular Tobacco Co. with "Hawagharri" cigarettes.
In our original World Tobacco Issues Index the listing is much reduced, and the various parts are separated.
- Version A is recorded under section 4.C of the Wills listing, with other issues through `Four Aces Cigarettes`, these being "issued in areas where British Garrisons were stationed, 1924-28". It is catalogued as
"BIRDS OF BRILLIANT PLUMAGE (A). Sm. 63 x 36. Playing cards inset. (52). See RB.21/200-152.A ... W62-301. [updated to section 5.C, new code W675-436] - Version B and Version C remain together under section 4.D, `Pirate Cigarettes`, these being "issued in Chinese speaking areas 1907-1928" . It is catalogued as "
"BIRDS OF BRILLIANT PLUMAGE (A). Sm. 63 x 36. Playing cards inset. (52). "Pirate" brand issue. See RB.21/200-152.B ... W62-312 [updated to section 5.D, new code W675-448]
(a) Front with framelines
(b) Front without framelines - for version D see https://csgb.co.uk/publications/newsletter/2025-03-13 - and scroll down to Tuesday, 18th March 2025
- Version E is recorded right at the back of our original World Tobacco Issues Index, with the "Z" codes, under "Anonymous Issues (3) - With Plain Back", under section 1.B, "Cards without captions - issues 1900-1917". It is catalogued as
"BIRDS OF BRILLIANT PLUMAGE (A). Sm. 63 x 36. Playing cards inset. (52). See RB.21/200-152.D. Issued abroad through B.A.T ... ZH2-22.[updated to the new code ZH02-160]
This is also a bit misleading because it contradicts the code in our Wills booklets, which ascribes the letter D to the general overseas issue. - The Ogden versions, two of them, were exported, and were issued with "Ruler Cigarettes", in India, about 1912-14. It appears under section 5.D of the Ogden listings, as part of the cards circulated by B.A.T., without any Imperial Tobacco Clause. It is catalogued as
"BIRDS OF BRILLIANT PLUMAGE (A). Sm. 63 x 36. Playing cards inset. Back with illustrations of two "Ruler" packages (52). See RB.15/36 and RB.21/200-152.F. ... O/2-222. [updated quite a bit, see below]
(a) Front with blue framelines. Back in pale pink violet
(b) Front without framelines. Back in reddish purple - The John Player version was also exported and appears under Player section 3.B, "Issues 1923-30. Chiefly in New Zealand, Malaya and Siam". It is catalogued as
"BIRDS OF BRILLIANT PLUMAGE (A). Sm. 63 x 36. Playing cards inset. (52). See RB.21/200-152.G. ... P72-186" [updated to section 4.B, new code P644-612] - "Cigarettes Copain" is a brand name, belonging to British American Tobacco, and you will find those under B.A.T. section 2.H.a, which reads ""Cigarettes Copain". Brand issues, without name of firm, in West Indies, Belgium, and elsewhere. Issued 1927, re-issued 1933." It is catalogued as
"BIRDS OF BRILLIANT PLUMAGE (A). Sm. 63 x 36. Playing cards inset. (52). See RB.21/200-152.H. ... B116-131 [updated to section 2.G, new code B705-510] - Peninsular Tobacco Co. Ltd, were based in India, and they were an associate of the British American Tobacco Company. Their cards were issued between 1908 and 1916, and yet again there are two versions of our set, catalogued as
"BIRDS OF BRILLIANT PLUMAGE (A). Sm. Playing cards inset. Back with illustrations of two "Ruler" packages (52). See RB.21/200-152.I. ... P22-2 [updated quite a bit, see below]
(a) Back with single large packing
(b) Back with two small packings.
Most of this is the same in our updated World Tobacco Issues Index, except for the new codes, which we have included above as the codes in brackets which appear at the end of each section. The exceptions are as follows :
- The Ogden versions still appear under section 5.D of the Ogden listings, as part of the cards circulated by B.A.T., without any Imperial Tobacco Clause, but are now catalogued as
"BIRDS OF BRILLIANT PLUMAGE (A). Sm. 63 x 36. Playing cards inset. Back with illustrations of two "Ruler" packages (52). See RB.115/36 and RB.21/200-152.F. ... O100-820.
A. Front with blue framelines. Back with wording on sides of each packet (a) "Caret" (b) "10 Cigarettes"
B. Front without framelines. Back with wording on sides of each packet "Caret" - The Peninsular Tobacco Co. Ltd, are now catalogued as
"BIRDS OF BRILLIANT PLUMAGE (A). Sm. Unnd. (52). See RB.21/200-152.I. ... P321-090
(a) With playing card inset. Back with single large packing. Picture size 58 x 32.
(b) With playing card inset. Back with two small packings, in shades of brown - olive. Picture size 53 x 31.
(c) No playing card inset. Picture size 52 x 29. Back in brown.