I've been thinking a lot about American history especially of late. I am currently in the middle of Ken Burns' series The American Revolution, which has had me better understanding how much the revolutionary period was as much a series of civil wars in this country as it was a war against England, and also about how inevitable The Civil War itself seems in retrospect, with tensions over slavery, and between regions, there from the very beginning. Anyway, all to say this single ten of stars from a very rare Union Playing Card deck (Type 2, produced exclusively in 1863) felt and feels especially poignant to me, including for how the layout of the stars evinces two armies of five facing each other on the battlefield. Plus that juicy red ink, block printed I believe, and the wear, and the intertwined knots on the reverse side too. It certainly would be nice to have the whole--very very precious--deck, but I find this single singularly beautiful, all the more so on its own.

Union Playing Card decks were designed by Benjamin W. Hitchcock and printed in New York by the American Card Company for only a short time in 1862-1863, with the suits comprising flags, shields, stars, and eagles and the court cards the Goddess of Liberty (Queen), Colonels (Kings), and Majors (Jacks). This card is from an ultra rare Type II Union Playing Card deck, printed in 1863 with a different back design and removed backgrounds from the court cards. 

4 9/16" x 2 1/2". Good used condition--wear and soiling, as it definitely played with, which I think is all to the good.