Good Luck Postcards

GOOD LUCK POSTCARDS

This is a list of early 20th century European and American topical "good guck," "best wishes," holiday, and general greeting postcards that bear talismanic and amuletic images and are depicted on various LUCKY W pages.

These postcards date from the great "postcard mania" era of 1900 - 1918 unless otherwise noted. The identifying text given in quotes is found on the back of the card unless otherwise noted. If no publisher name is noted, there is none given on the card. All the cards are divided back style (after 1906) unless otherwise noted and postally unused unless a "postally used" date is given. Some of the cards shown were issued as part of a set; other cards in the set are mentioned (but not shown) when known.

Amanita muscaria mushrooms, four-leaf clovers, horseshoe, rising sun, and leprechaun-policeman on a New Years postcard
I have not seen the back of this card. It is dated 1904 in the image and therefore should have an undivided back; it is probably from Germany (see above)

four-leaf clovers on a good luck postcard
"E. C. C. Serie 311 / Made in Germany"

four-leaf clovers on a best wishes postcard
"E. C. C. Serie 301 / Made in Germany" / postally used 1910 (same series as above card)

chimney sweep, four-leaf clovers, and Amanita muscaria mushrooms on a Hungarian New Year's postcard
"B. Co. B. 4600 /2" / postally used January 1, 1938

The Devil (Der Teufel, Krampus) on a Germn or Czech postcard
"Erika" / postally unused but hand-dated 1932

"The Language of Good Luck Charms" on a French postcard
"Dix, Paris 1654 [on front] / Fabrication Francaise" / postally used 1921

"The Lucky Pig" with four-leaf clovers on an English postcard
"Raphael Tuck & Sons' Art Series 1263" / postally used 1905

two pigs drinking champagne in a dirigble with lucky charms on a German New Year postcard
I have not seen the back of this sepia-tone card; it appears to date from the 1920s-30s.

spider and holly on a good luck postcard
"296 [on front] / Printed in Germany"

swastika, horseshoe, Sun, twin hearts, and Earth on a good luck postcard
"Copyright 1907 by E. Phillips" [on front] / explanatory text on back

wishbone and holly on a Christmas/New Year postcard
"Holly Series No. 3" / postally used 1910 ? [smudged; possibly 1913 or 1918]

My mother Liselotte Erlanger Glozer maintains several web pages on vintage postcards. A good luck horseshoe and-four-leaf-clover postcard appears on her page of silk fabric cards.

If you have any further information about the publishers or artists who produced these cards, or set lists for any of the cards shown here, i would greatly appreciate hearing from you. I am actively buying good examples of this sort of card. No approvals or auction notices, please; instead, send e-mail with descriptions and prices to: cat@luckymojo.com.

For online contact with postcard collectors, dealers, and clubs worldwide, or to surf the illustrated web pages of other deltiologists, there is no better resource than the "Cool Card's Post Office" links page at http://www.cool-card.com/links.asp.

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