Portuguese-suited playing cards

Later Portuguese pattern (19th century)
Ace of swords
6 of clubs
Sota of cups
Knight of coins

Portuguese-suited playing cards or Portuguese-suited cards are a nearly extinct suit-system of playing cards that survive in a few towns in Sicily and Japan. Although not of Portuguese origin, they were named after the country because Portugal was the last European nation to use them on a large basis. They are very similar to Spanish-suited playing cards in that they use the Latin-suit system of cups, swords, coins and clubs. However, this system featured straight swords and knobbly clubs like the Spanish suits but intersected them like the northern Italian suits. The Aces featured dragons and the knaves were all distinctly female. The arrangement of the cups and coins are also slightly different:

  • Rank 6 has two horizontal rows of three pips. (which became diagonal rows to fit on smaller cards in Japan)
  • Rank 7 has the same arrangement as the previous with an additional pip in the middle.
  • Rank 8 has the same arrangement as the next without the pip in the middle.
  • Rank 9 has the pips arranged in a 3-by-3 square.
Portuguese suit signs
Suit
English Swords Cups Coins Clubs
Portuguese Espadas Copas Ouros Paus
Spanish Espadas Copas Oros Bastos