The first mention of cards in the New World is found in the
letters of Herrera, a companion of Cortes, who describes the interest
manifested by the Aztecs in the card games of the Spanish soldiers.

Early in the 15th century the making of cards had become a regular trade
in Germany, whence they were sent to other countries. Cards were also
manufactured in Italy at least as early as 1425, and in England before
1463; for by an act of parliament of 3 Edw. IV. the importation of
playing cards is forbidden, in consequence, it is said, of the
complaints of manufacturers that importation obstructed their business.
No cards of undoubted English manufacture of so early a date have been
discovered; and there is reason to believe, notwithstanding the act of
Edward IV., that the chief supplies came from France or the Netherlands.
In the reign of Elizabeth the importation of cards was a monopoly; but
from the time of James I. most of the cards used in this country were of
home manufacture. A duty was first levied on cards in the reign of James
I.; since when they have always been taxed.

It has been much disputed whether the earliest cards were printed from
wood-blocks. If so, it would appear that the art of wood-engraving,
which led to that of printing, may have been developed through the
demand for the multiplication of implements of play. The belief that the
early card-makers or card-painters of Ulm, Nuremberg and Augsburg, from
about 1418-1450, were also wood-engravers, is founded on the assumption
that the cards of that period were printed from wood-blocks. It is,
however, clear that the earliest cards were executed by hand, like those
designed for Charles VI. Many of the earliest wood-cuts were coloured by
means of a stencil, so it would seem that at the time wood-engraving was
first introduced, the art of depicting and colouring figures by means of
stencil plates was well known. There are no playing cards engraved on
wood to which so early a date as 1423 (that of the earliest dated
wood-engraving generally accepted) can be fairly assigned; and as at
this period there were professional card-makers established in Germany,
it is probable that wood-engraving was employed to produce cuts for
sacred subjects before it was applied to cards, and that there were
hand-painted and stencilled cards before there were wood-engravings of
saints. The German _Briefmaler_ or card-painter probably progressed into
the wood-engraver; but there i