Dondorf Hundertjahrkarte Restoration Orange Uncut

Uncut version of this restoration deck by Lotrek and commissioned by United Cardists (Mike Ratledge) which was primarily funded through KickStarter, but also through the United Cardists forum and UCDeckSales site. The restoration of the deck was masterfully crafted in Greece by Lotrek of Oath Playing Cards based on very hi-res scans of the originals and also on Waddingtons' reprint of the deck in 1975 under the name "Royal Gothic". https://ucdecksales.com/collections/frontpage/products/dondorf-hundertjahrkarte-uncut-sheets https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/unitedcardistsdotcom/dondorf-hundertjahrkarte-playing-cards-restoration/ Details of original deck: In 1833 Bernhard Dondorf opened his lithographic printing business in Frankfurt am Main. Always on the lookout for innovations in the graphic arts industry, Herr Dondorf began focusing on playing cards and eventually his business became the synonym for fine and luxurious playing cards. In 1933 Dondorf GmbH was celebrating 100 years of history. For their centennial jubilee, they printed the "Dondorf Hundertjahrkarte" deck to give to attendees of the 100th anniversary celebration of the company. Ironically, at this time the Dondorf business was in the process of being taken over by Flemming & Wiskott. Designed and produced during difficult economic circumstances, these decks was quite an achievement for the time and particularly expensive to print. They were made utilizing chromolithography and they required 28 stones (the era's equivalent to modern printing plates). 12 color stones were used for the backs and 16 for the faces. At that time, "Dondorf Hundertjahrkarte" deck was the most elaborate deck ever created. The original decks were given to customers attending the Jubilee in 1933, so they have never been available for retail sale. The cards measured 6.2cm X 9cm -similar to modern bridge size. They had metallic gold accents both on the faces and the back. The mood inspired by the Middle Ages was serious and heroic, intending to suggest the power and virtue of the German character. The courts' artwork was extremely detailed, obviously executed by a true master. The decks were in sets of two, inside an elegant marble-like box with an inlaid golden buckle reading: "Dondorfs Hundertjahrkarte". They were identical, except for the border color on the back. One was orange, while the other was light green. Both decks were gilded.