Quite a special one I think! I purchased this from a seller in England, who cited it as a single from a very rare, really wonderful deck of Charles Hodges Geographical Playing Cards, produced by Stopforth & Sons, London, circa 1827. (Featuring 52 cards in 4 suits, with each suit corresponding to a continent, the ace of each suit bearing a continent map, the two through ten featuring maps of countries or regions, and the court cards bearing images of historical figures associated with that continent.) However, close inspection of documentation of that engraved, hand-colored deck clearly reveals what I had a hunch was true: this Mexico card is a hand-drawn version of that printed deck. Whether it came before or after I can't say for sure, but it seems quite possible it served as the original drawing upon which the printed cards were made, with the hand-lettered writing replaced with typeface. I've included an image of the Hodges card in photos for reference.
In any case, I love seeing this early 19th century map of Mexico, reminding one of the lay of the land prior to the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ending the Mexican American War in 1848 (the reddish watercolor line on the card demarcates the pre-1848 border). And these beautiful stencil-painted dark green spades that read as trees, and characterizing this in my mind as a "transformation" card-- a type of playing card where the pips are incorporated into an image. Altogether pretty cool!
3 5/8" x 2 1/2" and in very good condition, with no tears or creases and only minor toning, There is an old surface stain on reverse, which does not show through.
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