De la Rue pneumatic playing cards early 20th century by appointment to HM King George VI in the original box. All 52 cards are present plus a joker. 9 cm long 6 cm wide
Thomas De la Rue & Co’s “Pneumatic Playing Cards”, c.1890 - c.1965
 
Easy Shuffling - Perfect Dealing
 
Pneumatic playing cards were invented by William Thomas Shaw, an old employee and De la Rue friend who had recently become a partner in the company. The surface of the cards was slightly grooved by being rolled on prepared plates, so that there were little pockets of air between each card, which prevented them sticking together. The invention came about at the same time as round corners and indices, i.e. c.1890. By impressing a herringbone design into the back of the card air was trapped to prevent sticking and cards slid easily during dealing.
 
“We have received from Messrs. Thomas de la Rue & Co. specimens of playing cards made on a principle which they have patented and describe as “pneumatic”, its object to facilitate shuffling and dealing, by preventing the cards from adhering to one another while they are manipulated. The invention consists of a special preparation of the surfaces of the cards. The fronts are highly finished while the backs are minutely grooved or indented all over, so as to provide an air space between the cards and a roughened surface, which acts as a resistance for the thumb in dealing. The cards slide off one another with ease and rapidity.”   Extracted from “The Times” 16th February 1891 and quoted in The Newsletter of the English Playing Card Society, issue 64, May 1999, p.29.
 
“Pneumatic” playing cards were originally introduced in hard telescopic boxes, with geometric or plain back designs, in a range of different qualities (thicknesses) at prices ranging from one shilling to two shillings. There was also a matching paper wrapper inside the box with a tax wrapper around it. “Pneumatic” playing cards were also issued by De la Rue's subsidiary
 
The Empire Card Co. Ltd.
 
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of India from 1936 until the British Raj was dissolved in August 1947, and the first head of the Commonwealth following the London Declaration of 1949.
 
Playing cards were probably invented during the Tang dynasty around the 9th century, as a result of the usage of woodblock printing technology.[19][20][21][22][23] The reference to a leaf game in a 9th-century text known as the Collection of Miscellanea at Duyang (Chinese: 杜阳杂编; pinyin: Dùyáng zábiān), written by Tang dynasty writer Su E, is often cited in connection to the existence of playing cards.