Ace of spades

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For other uses, see Ace of spades (disambiguation).
1828 "Old Frizzle"

The ace of spades (also known as the spadille[1]) is traditionally the highest card in the deck of playing cards, at least in English-speaking countries. The actual value of the card varies from game to game. In legend and folklore, it is also known as the death card.[2][3]




The system was changed again in 1862 when official threepenny duty wrappers were introduced and although the makers were free to use whatever design they wanted, most chose to keep the ornate ace of spades that is popular today.[6] The ace of spades is thus used to show the card manufacturer's information.

The exact design of the ace card was so important, it eventually became the subject of design patents and trademarking. For example, on December 5, 1882, George G. White was granted US design patent US0D0013473[7] for his design. His ace design was adorned with male and female figures leaning onto the spade from either side.




Some twenty years later, a folk legend about the ace of spades being used by American soldiers during the Vietnam War was popularized. Supposedly, US troops believed that Vietnamese traditions held the symbolism of the spade to mean death and ill-fortune and in a bid to frighten and demoralize Viet Cong soldiers, it was common practice to mockingly leave an ace of spades on the bodies of killed Vietnamese and even to litter the forested grounds and fields with the card.[citation needed] This custom was said to be so effective that the United States Playing Card Company was asked by Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment to supply crates of that single card in bulk. The crates were often marked with "Bicycle Secret Weapon".[8][unreliable source?] However, no evidence of this practice actually being used during the war exists.[citation needed] The ace of spades, while not a symbol of superstitious fear to the Viet Cong forces, did help the morale of American soldiers. It was not unheard of for US soldiers and Marines to stick this card in their helmet band as a sort of anti-peace sign.[citation needed]



Various idioms involving the ace of spades include "black as the ace of spades" (which can refer either to color or to race),[9] and the French expression fagoté comme l'as de pique—that is, "(badly) dressed like the ace of spades."[10]

See also[edit]


  1. ^ "Spadille" in Merriam-Webster
  2. ^ Death Cards - Psychological Operations
  3. ^ "The Tarot Death Card". Archived from the original on 2007-12-26. Retrieved 2009-02-11. 
  4. ^ Knuckle, White, A Brief History of Playing Cards, retrieved November 22, 2013 
  5. ^ Hughes, E (2004). The English Stamp Duties, 1664-1764. 56, no.222 (April 1941). English Historical Review. p. 245. 
  6. ^ a b Schott, Ben (2004). "Card Tax & The Ace of Spades". Schott's Sporting, Gaming & Idling Miscellany. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 62. ISBN 0-7475-6924-X. 
  7. ^ Patent Images
  8. ^ Ace of Spades or Secret Weapon Death Playing Cards at Newt's Playing Cards Archived December 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ^
  10. ^ "As", Cassell's New French Dictionary (5th ed., 1951).

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