A gorgeous deck of 56-completely custom playing cards inspired by a mysterious ghost town in Pennsylvania that was once a bustling coal mining town. Each deck of cards is manufactured on premium casino grade stock with an air-cushion finish by the USPCC and wrapped in a custom tuck case. A special collector's edition set is also available.
The Overall Design
These stunning "Bicycle Barclay Mountain Playing Cards" playing cards were designed by R.J. Tomlinson in collaboration with Anna Dorjieva and Oleg Gert. They wanted the overall design to give a sense of a ghostly nighttime feel. If you ever visit Barclay Mountain at night, you'll know the feeling they were trying to capture... magic and mystery.
The Court Cards
The court cards feature what life would've looked like on Barclay Mountain before it became a ghost town. Coal miners, lumberjacks, a leatherworker, a businessman, a railroad worker and teachers are hand illustrated on each court card. Much of the artwork was created using real photos for the inspiration.
The Tuck Case
The tuck case features a snake coiled around two pickaxes. The inspiration for this design came from the Gadsden Flag (also known as the Don't Tread on Me flag).
The Back Design
The back design features two snakes forming the infinity symbol. It's designed to remind people that time is never ending, and history can repeat itself. The back also ties in the theme of coal mining and lumbering with the use of pickaxes, axes and a railroad locomotive. The locomotive is modeled after one of the trains that once carried coal from the mountain to the nearby town of Towanda, Pa.
Special Two Deck Collector's Edition Box
A special, limited edition collector's box is also available. You'll get two decks of "Barclay Mountain Playing Cards" in a specially-designed keepsake box. Each special set comes with a 12-page informational booklet explaining the history of Barclay Mountain that was written exclusively for this release by local historian Matthew Carl.