“Harry Kellar”, 1921. US6g Ace, (2) Version 2 Capitol Joker on one side and Treasury (USPCC brand) on the other. All cards are double-faced and it appears no two cards are the same. When I put the little information I had at the time on the website, there were two “known” decks. The one I now possess, and the one that sold on Haversat/Ewing. Another was found a year later on Potter and Potter. So there were at least 3 known decks in collections.
…Or so we thought.
Enter a magic historian and expert:
These were decks that Harry Kellar made for a trick he was working on. So, people often attribute the deck to Kellar as though he owned it, as opposed to any magician that had a deck created for themselves.
They are double sided and the reasons for that would be for the purpose of the trick he was working on. There are a bunch. (David) Copperfield always has one in his traveling exhibit. Not sure if he has one or more in his collection, but what is putting into his exhibits are usually duplicates.
Martinka.com sold one years ago, that I then sold to a fellow magic collector. That's now in a museum in Chicago.
I know the guy that bought the Potter one (2021).
I believe I bought that deck from Haversat/Ewing (2020). (He said on a phone call with me that someone in Spain bought it)
Other magic collectors have them.
I have a bunch. Probably more than most collectors”. (End of expert’s information)
…Sometimes decks aren’t as rare as we think. Still, playing card collectors who don’t collect magic decks and ephemera don’t know about others that might be out there. Thanks to Lee Asher for pointing me to someone who knew. Still, acquiring one of these decks can be very difficult.
