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Types of Golden Nugget Playing Cards

Type 1 / Type 2 / Type 3 / Type 4 / Type 5 / Type 6 / Type 7 / Type 8 / Type 9 / Type 10

Golden Nugget

Playing Card Types

Type 1 / Type 2 / Type 3 / Type 4 / Type 5 / Type 6 / Type 7 / Type 8 / Type 9 / Type 10

Take a moment to identify your deck of Golden Nugget Playing Cards by using the information listed below. Each of the nine Types of GNuggs have different characteristics, thus making it easy to recognize which one you own.

For instance, if the words ATLANTIC CITY appear anywhere on the tuck box, deck, jokers, or Ace, you should look at TYPE 6, TYPE 7, TYPE 8, & TYPE 9. If your deck says the words Rooming House, you should look at TYPE 4 or TYPE 8. Happy identifying!

Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards - Type 1
Type 1
Golden Nugget Playing Cards Date Revealed Under The Tuck Box
Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards - Type 1
Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards - Type 1
Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Brown - Type 1
Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Ace Of Spades - Type 1
Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Ace - Type 1
Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Green - Type 1

Type 1 (First Generation)

Gambling Hall - Downtown, LV

Manufactured sometime between 1961 - 1965, this deck might have two versions of a United States IRS 1-pack tax stamp on the tuck. The stamps were cancelled by Consolidated Dougherty Card Company, a subsidiary of the United States Playing Card Co. You can also tell if the deck is a first generation by the USPC code found on the Ace of Spades.

By far, 'As Issued' decks from this Type are the most valuable of all the GNuggs you can collect.


Look at the bottom of the tuck box. It should say Downtown Las Vegas - Nevada. No bar code should appear anywhere, and a majority of the time, you'll find this Type of deck uncancelled. On rare occasions, you might find examples of this Type of deck in 'As Issued' condition, sealed in cellophane with the red security strip still intact.

Type 1 decks have been known to come with a single blank card with a Bee brand Allover back design, (#32). The purpose of providing this single card was that it was to be used as a cut card.

Dates Printed 1961-1965 (Approx.)
Manufacturer United States Playing Card Co. (Cincinnati, OH) USA
Size Poker
Colors Printed Purple, Brown, Green, Red, Black
Closure Seal U.S. Treasury IRS 1-Pack Tax stamp (cancelled by Consolidated Dougherty or Consolidated Dougherty Card Co.)
Security Strip Either none, or a solid red band
USPC Ace of Spades Codes C, D, E
Other Notes
  • Deck comes with two Jokers.
  • Sometimes people mistake the Purple deck for the Blue one.
  • Sometimes people mistake the Red deck for the Orange one.
  • The year the deck was made is printed under one of the long edges of the tuckbox.

Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Black - Type 2
Type 2
Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards - Type 2
Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Green 1967 - Type 2
Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Green - Type 2
Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Orange - Type 2

Type 2 (Second Generation)

Gambling Hall - Downtown, LV

Manufactured sometime between 1967 - 1972, this deck might have a U.S. Playing Card Co. perforated stamp on the tuck. You can also date your deck by the USPC code found on the Ace of Spades.

Type 2 is exactly the same as Type 1, except Type 2s were manufactured after the U.S. Department of Revenue stopped taxing playing cards (1965).


The bottom of your tuck box should say Downtown Las Vegas - Nevada. No bar code should appear anywhere, and a majority of the time, you'll find this Type of deck uncancelled. On rare occasions, you might find examples of this Type of deck in 'As Issued' condition, sealed in cellophane with the red security strip still intact.

Type 1 decks have been known to come with a single blank card with a Bee brand Allover back design, (#32). The purpose of providing this single card was that it was to be used as a cut card.

Dates Printed 1967 - 1972 (Approx.)
Manufacturer United States Playing Card Co. (Cincinnati, OH) USA
Size Poker
Colors Printed Purple, Blue, Orange, Brown, Green, Red, Black.
Closure Seal U.S Playing Card Co. perforated stamp (Blue)
Security Strip Solid red band
USPC Ace of Spades Codes H, J, L, M, R
Other Notes
  • Deck comes with two Jokers.
  • Golden Nugget Casino stopped printing the Purple and Orange colored decks during this Type period.
  • It seems that Orange was only printed in 1967.
  • The US Playing Card Tax was rescinded on June 21, 1965, meaning no more tax stamps appear on decks post '65. This is why you see the perforated stamp-like seal on these Type of decks.
  • The year the deck was made is printed under one of the long edges of the tuckbox.

Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Black - Type 3
Type 3
Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Black - Type 3
Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Date 1974 - Type 3
Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards - Type 3

Type 3 (Third Generation)

Gambling Hall - 2nd and Fremont

Manufactured sometime between 1972 - 1974, this deck might have a U.S. Playing Card Co. perforated stamp on the tuck. You can also date this Type of deck by the USPC code found on the Ace of Spades.

The ZIP Code appears on the tuck box during this printing.


The bottom of your tuck box should say Golden Nugget, Inc. / 2nd And Fremont / Las Vegas, Nevada 89101, which is the address (including the ZIP Code) for the downtown Las Vegas Casino. A majority of the time, you'll find this Type of deck uncancelled. On rare occasions, you might find examples of this Type of deck in 'As Issued' condition, sealed in cellophane with the red security strip still intact.

Type 3 decks have been known to come with a single advertising card (manufactured by Consolidated Dougherty) with the famous Bee brand No. 67 Diamond Back design.

Dates Printed 1972 - 1974 (Approx.)
Manufacturer United States Playing Card Co. (Cincinnati, OH) USA
Size Poker
Colors Printed Blue, Brown, Green, Red, Black.
Closure Seal U.S Playing Card Co. perforated stamp
Security Strip Solid red band
USPC Ace of Spades Codes R, T
Other Notes
  • Deck comes with two Jokers.
  • Golden Nugget Casino only printing the Brown and Green colored decks in 1972, while Red and Black decks were produced from 1972-1974. This explains why we find more Black and Red than any other color manufactured during this period.
  • The year the deck was made is printed under one of the long edges of the tuckbox.

Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards - Type 4
Type 4
Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards - Type 4
Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Green/Gold - Type 4
Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Red/Gold - Type 4
Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Red/Gold - Type 4

Type 4 (Fourth Generation)

Gambling Hall & Rooming House

Manufactured sometime between 1980 - 1983, this deck might have a U.S. Playing Card Co. blue stickers on the tuck. You can also date this Type of deck by the USPC code found on the Ace of Spades.

Printed with metallic inks.


Your deck should have Gambling Hall and Rooming House somewhere in the design on the back of cards, as well as on the tuck box. These cards were table-used, so the majority of the time you'll find this Type of deck cancelled. Usually this cancellation mark is either a hole in the center of the entire deck or the sides of the deck have been clipped-off. However, the Jokers are usually not cancelled.

Dates Printed 1980 - 1983 (Approx.)
Manufacturer United States Playing Card Co. (Cincinnati, OH) USA
Size Poker
Colors Printed Green/Gold, Red/Gold
Closure Seal U.S. Playing Card Co. sticker (sometimes with a gold or silver GN sticker if the deck was used)
Security Strip Solid red band
USPC Ace of Spades Codes A, D, E
Other Notes
  • Deck comes with two Jokers.
  • Metallic inks were used when manufacturing these Types of decks.
  • Decks have most likely been resealed with an official silver or gold GOLDEN NUGGET casino seals.
  • The year the deck was made is printed under one of the long edges of the tuckbox.

Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards - Type 5
Type 5
Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards - Type 5
Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards - Type 5
Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Red - Type 5
Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Red Tuck - Type 5

Type 5 (Fifth Generation)

Hotel & Casino

Manufactured sometime in 1987, this deck might have a U.S. Playing Card Co. blue sticker on the tuck. You can also date this Type of deck by the USPC code found on the Ace of Spades.


Your deck should have Hotel & Casino somewhere in the design on the back of cards, as well as on the tuck box. Type 5 is exactly the same as Type 4, except Type 5 decks don't have any mention of the Gambling Hall or Rooming House.

Dates Printed 1987 (Approx.)
Manufacturer United States Playing Card Co. (Cincinnati, OH) USA
Size Poker
Colors Printed Green/Gold, Red/Gold
Closure Seal U.S Playing Card Co. sticker
Security Strip White Bee brand band
USPC Ace of Spades Codes G, J
Other Notes
  • Deck comes with two Jokers.
  • Printed with metallic inks.

Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards - Type 6
Type 6
Atlantic City Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Black - Type 6
Atlantic City Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Gold - Type 6
Atlantic City Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Black - Type 6
Atlantic City Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Black & Gold - Type 6

Type 6 (Sixth Generation)

Atlantic City & Las Vegas

Manufactured sometime in the 1980s, you may find a U.S. Playing Card Co. blue sticker on the tuck. You can also date this Type of deck by the USPC code found on the Ace of Spades.


The easiest way to tell if your deck is a Type 6 is by looking at the tuck box. It should say Atlantic City & Las Vegas in the design as well as on the top & bottom of the tuck box.

Dates Printed Mid-1980s (Approx.)
Manufacturer United States Playing Card Co. (Cincinnati, OH) USA
Size Poker
Colors Printed Gold, Black
Closure Seal U.S Playing Card Co. sticker
Security Strip Solid red band
USPC Ace of Spades Code (Unknown)
Other Notes
  • Deck comes with two Jokers.
  • Printed with metallic inks.
  • Originally sold in a branded metal tin, or a branded leather case.
  • The Ace of Spades is exactly like the 1970 Jerry's Nugget Playing Card Ace of Spades.
  • The Jokers are the same as the Standard Playing Card Company (Chicago) Jokers from a deck called American Beauty. It's referenced in the Hochman Encyclopedia as SU7. This Joker is actually a copy of an American Bank Note Joker. United States Playing Card Company owns both Standard Playing Card Company as well as American Bank Note's playing card division. Therefore, you could say these decks are an amalgamation of the different brands.

Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Atlantic City - Type 7
Type 7
Atlantic City Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards - Type 7
Atlantic City Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards - Type 7
Atlantic City Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Blue Seal - Type 7

Type 7 (Seventh Generation)

Atlantic City

Manufactured sometime in the 1980s, you may find a U.S. Playing Card Co. blue sticker on the tuck. You can also date this Type of deck by the USPC code found on the Ace of Spades.


You can tell if your deck is a Type 7 by looking at the tuck box. It should say Atlantic City on the top & bottom of the box. These cards were table-used, so the majority of the time you'll find this Type of deck cancelled so they cannot be used in the casino again. Usually this cancellation mark is a hole in the center of the entire deck.

Type 7 is exactly the same as Type 4 and Type 5, except Type 7 decks don't have any mention of the Gambling Hall, Rooming House, Hotel, or Casino.

Dates Printed 1980s (Approx.)
Manufacturer United States Playing Card Co. (Cincinnati, OH) USA
Size Poker
Colors Printed Red
Closure Seal U.S Playing Card Co. sticker
Security Strip Solid red band
USPC Ace of Spades Code (Unknown)
Other Notes
  • Deck comes with two Jokers.
  • Printed with metallic inks.
  • This deck was strictly made for the Atlantic City Golden Nugget.

Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Whitman - Type 8
Type 8
 Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Whitman - Type 8
 Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Whitman - Type 8
 Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Whitman Joker - Type 8

Type 8 (Eighth Generation)

Whitman Crusader

This Type of deck was manufactured in 1977 by the Whitman Playing Card Company, AKA the Western Playing Card Company.


You can tell if your deck is a Type 8 by looking at the Ace of Spades. It should say Whitman in the middle of the big spade.

The Type 8 back design looks remarkably similar to the Gaming Hall & Rooming House design found on the Type 4 GNuggs manufactured by United States Playing Card Co.

Dates Printed 1977 (Approx.)
Manufacturer Witman Playing Card Co. (Racine, WI) USA
Size Poker
Colors Printed White, Green
Closure Seal (Unknown)
Security Strip (Unknown)
USPC Ace of Spades Code Not applicable
Other Notes
  • Crusader brand playing cards.
  • Deck comes with two Jokers.
  • In new condition, the cards often come sealed in cellophane inside the tuck box.
  • This deck comes with a "Rank of Poker Hands" card.
  • This deck comes with a 1977 calendar card.

Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Gemaco Black - Type 9
Type 9
 Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Gemaco - Type 9
 Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Gemaco Red - Type 9
 Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Gemaco Black - Type 9
 Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Gemaco Ace of Spades - Type 9

Type 9 (Ninth Generation)

Gemaco

This deck was manufactured sometime in the 1980s by Gemaco Playing Card Company, AKA the George C. Matteson Co, Inc.


The easiest way to tell if your deck is a Type 9 is by looking at Tuck Box. It should say Golden Nugget on one side, while saying GEMACO on the other.

The Type 9 back design looks remarkably similar to the Atlantic City design found on the Type 7 GNuggs manufactured by United States Playing Card Co.

Dates Printed 1980s (Approx.)
Manufacturer Gemaco Playing Card Co. (Independence, MO) USA - AKA the George C. Matteson Co, Inc.
Size Poker
Colors Printed Black, Red
Closure Seal Thin blue Gemaco seal
Security Strip None
USPC Ace of Spades Code Not applicable
Other Notes
  • Deck comes with two Jokers.

Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Gemaco White - Type 10
Type 10
 Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Gemaco Black - Type 10
 Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Gemaco Ace of Spades - Type 10
 Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Box Gemaco - Type 10
 Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Box Gemaco - Type 10
 Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Gemaco Joker 1 - Type 10
 Golden Nugget Casino Playing Cards Gemaco Joker 2 - Type 10

Type 10 (Tenth Generation)

Gemaco

This deck was manufactured sometime in the early 2000s (2003-2005) by Gemaco Playing Card Company, AKA the George C. Matteson Co, Inc.


The easiest way to tell if your deck is a Type 10 is by looking at the Ace of Spades. It should say Tim Poster and Tom Breitling. These two men were owners of the Golden Nugget between 2003 and 2005.

The Type 10 back design is a white-backed card with white borders. This way, it seems like there are no borders.

Dates Printed 2003-2005 (Approx.)
Manufacturer Gemaco Playing Card Co. (Independence, MO) USA - AKA the George C. Matteson Co, Inc.
Size Poker
Colors Printed White
Closure Seal Thin blue Gemaco seal
Security Strip None
USPC Ace of Spades Code Not applicable
Other Notes
  • Deck comes with two Jokers.