French Postcard with Card Cheats

The moment I laid eyed on the eBay listing for this postcard I knew I had to have it. It was listed on eBay by an international seller, from France, and it cost me €9.99, plus shipping. A bargain for such a great looking image that I might never see again, if I hadn't bought it.

The caption says, "Le gain sera commun - Et l'enjeu partagé," translated, "The gain will be common - And the stakes shared." I'm not sure if I can read the handwritten message correctly, but it says something about "His fortune..." then possibly "...departed," followed by what appears to be an illegible signature.


For whatever reason, this postcard has been postmarked on the front. The date is not visible, but I did a quick search for French stamps and I was able to determine that this 5¢ stamp was used in the years 1900 and 1901.

This is not a photographic postcard, like most postcards from that era. This one is a print. I'm not sure how they printed in color in those days, but when I look under a magnifying glass the image looks like a colorized black & white print.

I have no idea in what quantities these post cards were printed or haw many have survived, but this one will definitely end up on my wall.