Bicycle USPPC

Bicycle Playing Cards - The History of the World's Most Famous Playing Cards

Bicycle Playing Cards are among the most recognizable playing cards in the world and have been closely connected with card games, cardistry and magic for generations.

The brand originated in the United States in the late 19th century and developed from classic playing card designs into an enormous world of standard, specialty and collectible decks.

For magicians, Bicycle cards became particularly important thanks to their familiar appearance, consistent handling and the huge variety of regular and specially produced magic cards available in Bicycle designs.

From a Printing Company to a Playing Card Icon

The story behind Bicycle begins in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1867, when A. O. Russell, Robert J. Morgan, James M. Armstrong and John F. Robinson Jr. founded Russell, Morgan & Co.

The company originally produced items such as theatrical and circus posters and labels.

In the early 1880s, the company decided to enter the playing card business. Its first deck of playing cards came off the production line on June 28, 1881.

The Bicycle brand followed a few years later. Bicycles were becoming extremely popular in the United States at the time, and when the company was looking for a name for a new line of playing cards, an employee suggested “Bicycle.”

In 1885, Bicycle Playing Cards was born.

The United States Playing Card Company

In 1891, Russell, Morgan & Co. became the United States Printing Company.

As the playing card business continued to grow, that part of the company was separated in 1894 and became the United States Playing Card Company, better known as USPCC.

Over the years, USPCC became home to numerous well-known playing card brands. In addition to Bicycle, names associated with the company have included Bee, Aviator, Hoyle, KEM and Congress.

Since 2019, the United States Playing Card Company has been part of the Belgian Cartamundi Group, one of the world's largest playing card manufacturers.

Why Are They Called Bicycle?

There is no secret magical meaning behind the name.

When the new line of playing cards was being developed in the 1880s, bicycles were extremely popular in the United States. An employee of the company suggested the name “Bicycle.”

The bicycle theme subsequently became an important part of the brand's identity and can still be found in elements of classic Bicycle designs today.

Rider Back - A Design Almost Every Magician Knows

For magicians, perhaps no Bicycle design is more recognizable than the classic Rider Back.

Its distinctive symmetrical back design featuring bicycles and angels became one of the most recognizable playing card designs in the world. The Rider Back design has been produced since 1887.

For magicians, this familiarity provides an important advantage: a Bicycle Rider Back looks like an ordinary deck of playing cards to an audience.

That familiarity helped make the deck particularly popular in card magic for generations.

What Does the Famous 808 Mean?

Anyone who takes a closer look at Bicycle Playing Cards will eventually encounter the number 808.

Over the years, various stories and theories have developed around this number. The real explanation is considerably simpler.

808 was a reference number used to distinguish the Bicycle line from other playing card brands and products manufactured by the company.

No secret society. No hidden code.

Originally, it was simply a product reference number that eventually became part of Bicycle's identity.

The Famous Ace of Spades

The Bicycle Ace of Spades is another unmistakable element of the classic deck.

Inside the large spade is a female figure carrying a sword, shield and olive branch. The design was inspired by Thomas Crawford's Statue of Freedom, which stands on top of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Production codes found on Bicycle decks can also provide clues to when particular decks were manufactured.

For collectors, details like these can be especially useful when researching and dating older Bicycle decks.

Bicycle and the World of Magic

Few playing card brands are as closely associated with modern card magic as Bicycle.

One reason is the combination of a familiar appearance and reliable handling. Classic Bicycle cards are known for features such as their Air-Cushion Finish, designed to provide smooth handling, shuffling and dealing.

For magicians, however, another factor became extremely important.

Over the decades, an enormous ecosystem of trick cards, gaff cards and specially prepared decks developed around the standard Bicycle designs.

These include, for example:

- Invisible Decks
- Svengali Decks
- Stripper Decks
- Marked Decks
- Double Backers
- Double Facers
- Blank Face Cards
- Blank Back Cards
- Short Cards
- Specially printed gaff cards

This allows magicians to combine ordinary and specially prepared cards while maintaining a consistent appearance.

As a result, Bicycle became much more than an ordinary deck of playing cards. It became one of the standard tools of card magic.

From Everyday Playing Cards to Collectibles

Bicycle no longer means only the classic red or blue Rider Back deck.

Over the decades, countless special designs, color variations, themed decks, collaborations, anniversary editions and limited releases have appeared.

Some were created for everyday card games or magic, while others were designed specifically with collectors in mind.

Collectors may be particularly interested in:

- Older discontinued Bicycle decks
- Sealed vintage decks
- Limited editions
- Unusual color variations
- Historic Rider Back editions
- Special magic decks
- Promotional decks
- Advertising decks
- Anniversary editions
- Rare international variations

In 2025, Bicycle celebrated its 140th anniversary with a special 140th Anniversary Deck.

For collectors, the combination of design, age, condition, rarity and whether a deck remains factory sealed can make individual releases particularly desirable.

Discover Bicycle Decks on Re-Appear

Do you collect Bicycle Playing Cards or are you looking for a particular deck for your magic?

On Re-Appear, you can discover new and used Bicycle decks offered by magicians, collectors, creators and dealers from different countries.

Available listings can range from classic Rider Backs and modern designer decks to rare or discontinued collectible decks.

Have Bicycle Decks You No Longer Need?

The deck sitting unused in your collection might be exactly what another magician or collector is searching for.

On Re-Appear, you can list your Bicycle Playing Cards for sale for free and reach magicians in different countries.

Your listing is created from its original language and made available in English, German, French, Italian and Spanish.

Playing Cards with an Unusual History

Bicycle and the United States Playing Card Company have even appeared in some unusual chapters of American history.

During World War II, USPCC worked with the U.S. government on special playing cards intended to help American prisoners of war. Certain cards could be separated to reveal sections of hidden escape maps.

In the 1960s, the company also produced special playing cards for NASA with a fire-resistant coating.

During the Vietnam War, special decks consisting entirely of Bicycle Aces of Spades were also produced. The Ace of Spades was used as part of psychological warfare efforts.

An apparently ordinary deck of playing cards therefore has a surprisingly varied history.

Bicycle Today

Today, Bicycle exists simultaneously as an everyday playing card brand, a tool for magicians, a choice for cardists and a major field of interest for playing card collectors.

The classic Rider Back remains available while new designs and special editions continue to appear regularly.

For magicians, Bicycle remains particularly relevant because few other playing card brands offer the same combination of familiarity, handling, tradition and availability of trick cards and specialty decks.

For collectors, the enormous number of historic and modern releases means there is almost always another Bicycle deck waiting to be discovered.

Buy, Sell & Discover Bicycle Playing Cards

Whether you are searching for a classic Rider Back, a rare collectible deck, a limited edition or a special magic deck, Re-Appear brings together magicians and collectors who want to discover, buy and sell Bicycle Playing Cards.