A Suitcase Full of Cards Trivia Quiz

Answer: French-suited

The French suit of hearts ("Coeurs") symbolized the clergy in medieval society. The heart symbol was seen as a representation of the soul, compassion, and moral guidance. The simplified heart shape, introduced in France during the late 15th century, made the suit easy to produce with stencils.

Answer: French-suited

The French suit of diamonds ("Carreaux") symbolized the merchant class in medieval society. The diamond shape was associated with wealth, trade, and material goods. This suit was sometimes called "tiles" because the design resembled the square paving tiles commonly used in European architecture at the time.

Answer: French-suited

The French suit of clubs ("Trèfles") symbolized the peasant class in medieval society. The clover-like design was associated with agriculture, labor, and the natural world. This suit's original name of "clovers" was later replaced by "clubs" in English due to earlier card decks from Italy and Spain having those weapon-based suits.

The "clover" name didn't stick in English, and "clubs" continued to be used.

Answer: French-suited

The French suit of spades ("Piques") symbolized the nobility and the military class in medieval society. The spade design, resembling a pointed spearhead (or "pike"), was associated with warfare and strength. Similarly to the clubs of Italian and Spanish decks that predated the popular French decks, "spades" were swords, and the English decks retained that name, even though the French suit was more spear-like.

Answer: German-suited

The German suit of hearts ("Herz", sometimes "Rot") was often associated with love and joy. While French-suited decks contained hearts that were a solid red color, German-suited deck hearts were shaded on one half with horizontal black lines.

Answer: German-suited

The German suit of bells ("Schellen") isn't in the shape of a bell that is rung by hand but is round (similar to jingle bells). These symbols were believed to represent hawk bells, small bells attached to hunting birds such as falcons in medieval Europe.

Answer: German-suited

The German suit of acorns ("Eichel") has a longer acorn shape than most might be accustomed to. Several regions in Germany had their own acorn design, with some being pointed at the end and others being rounded.

Answer: German-suited

The German suit of leaves ("Laub") somewhat mirror the shape of spades in French-suited decks, though they are of course green and contain other leafy aspects, such as a stem and veins. German leaves sometimes mirror the heart design, where one half of the leaf is shaded in with black horizontal lines.

Answer: Spanish-suited

The Spanish suit of coins ("Oros") were typically depicted as circular shapes with ornate designs that included floral patterns, geometric motifs, the sun, or symbols of wealth. These patterns changed based on the region of Spain they came from.

Answer: Spanish-suited

The Spanish suit of cups ("Copas") were typically illustrated as upright chalices or goblets, often with decorative details like intricate patterns or stylized embellishments that give them a distinct and artistic appearance. The suit of cups was often associated with emotional or spiritual themes in games or divination.

Answer: Spanish-suited

The Spanish suit of swords ("Espadas") were depicted as long, straight blades, often drawn in pairs or in intersecting designs. The illustrations ranged from simple and functional to highly decorative. The Italian suit of the same symbol was called "spade," and this is the name that stuck for English-language decks.

Answer: Spanish-suited

The Spanish suit of clubs ("Bastos") were sturdy wooden batons or cudgels. Many of these included knots, which sometimes became colorful and highly stylized. Similar to "spades," the name "clubs" was kept in the English language for the clover shape, instead of adopting the word "clover."

Answer: Italian-suited

The Italian suit of swords ("Spade") are typically depicted as long, curved blades, often shown in pairs or crossed, with intricate designs reflecting the artistic style of Renaissance Italy. The curved shape of the swords distinguishes them from the straight swords seen in Spanish-suited decks.

Answer: Italian-suited

The Italian suit of cups ("Coppe") are typically depicted as ornate, rounded goblets, often with handles or decorative embellishments that reflect the Renaissance-era artistry of Italy. The cups are typically designed in a nearly symmetrical fashion so that the cups a similar top and bottom.

Answer: Italian-suited

The Italian suit of coins ("Denari") are depicted as round, gold discs, often adorned with intricate patterns or heraldic emblems. The name "denari" comes from the ancient Roman coin, the denarius, which was widely used in trade and commerce across the Roman Empire.

Answer: Italian-suited

The Italian suit of roses ("Bastoni") are typically depicted as long, slender wooden staves, often drawn with decorative flourishes or simple geometric patterns. Unlike the rounded, knotted clubs found in Spanish-suited decks, Italian batons tend to be straighter and more stylized, resembling ceremonial or heraldic staves rather than crude weapons.