-THE improved AIR MARIN deck-

In our Xpo "The French & the Sea" we show the Air Marin deck (page 9). Only very recently we came across this deck in a Dutch collector's sales album. It was immediately clear that there was something strange about it. So in order to check this feeling, the deck was brought home. And yes, it had some surprising differences. We'll start with the original edition and -lazy as we are- have based the design of this article on the original "The French&The Sea" page. 

The first edition of this deck is remarkable, not only because the regular suitcolours have been changed for marine objects, but also because the deck is bilingual. Although the indicators are French, each "suitcolour" is named in French and English. But not flawless, as you will see.

It was published by Tandem Editions as "Air Marin" in 1999. The suitcolours are "Fanions", "Lighthouses", "Sailors Knots" and the misspelled "Marine Ojects". In this first edition they missed a B there.

Poseidon (or Neptune in the Roman mythology) with his trident rules again as King, with a mermaid as Queen. Sailors on the Jacks.

Recently we found a second edition of the Air Marin deck. It seems that the publisher has decided to repair and improve the deck. Of course the misspelled "Ojects" was changed, but the deck was made easier and more accessible for the general public by adding regular suitcolours to the non-standard ones.

But there are other differences too. The bilingual nature of the deck is improved by using both French and English indices now. Furthermore the coloured rim, in red or blue, around the design has disappeared, just like the name "Air Marin" is no longer on the backs. And for the joker collectors..... the "Jocker" from the first edition was changed into the more modern "Joker", but he has lost the two J's in the top corners.

The numbercards are much easier to distinguish too with regular suit symbols, instead of the non-standard ones.

But what if we find a deck that is still sealed? To help out the publisher has also made some changes in the design of the box.

VARIATIONS