½ Penny Mathews on the game of Whist ND

Reverse

Eight-line inscription

Script: Latin

Lettering: MISTAKES MAY AT ANY TIME BE RECTIFIED ALSO HONORS IF CALLED IN TIME BUT NOT AFTER THE TRUMP IS TURNED UP.

Engraver: Edward Thomason

Edge

Plain

Comment

An important English book on whist, Advice to the Young Whist Player by Thomas Matthews (often spelled Mathews), was first published in 1804. About 1818, the Birmingham metal smith Edward Thomason made a set of 24 tokens each with a quotation from the book. As one would expect, most of the tokens present suggestions for the game at whist.

 01: HOYLE SO FAR FROM BEING ABLE TO TEACH THE GAME WAS NOT FIT TO SIT DOWN WITH A
 THIRD RATE PLAYER OF THE PRESENT DAY. M. PAGE 47.
 02: THERE ARE 4 PENALTIES ON A REVOKE TO TAKE 3 TRICKS OR DEDUCT 3 TRICKS FROM THEIR
 SCORE OR ADD 3 TO THEIR OWN AND THE REVOKERS CANNOT WIN BUT MUST REMAIN AT 9.
 03: THE TRUMP SHOULD BE EXPOSED UNTIL THE DEALER HAS PLAYED BUT NOT AFTERWARDS.
 THE SUIT IN TRUMP MAY BE ASKED AT ANY TIME.
 04: NO REVOKE CAN BE CLAIM'D AFTER THE CARDS ARE CUT FOR THE NEXT DEAL.
 05: THE PRINCIPLE OF THE TENACE IS THE GAME OF POSITION AND FINES(S)E THE ART OF
 PLACING YOURSELF IN THE MOST ADVANTAGEOUS ONE.
 06: [as listing]
 07: IF ONE OMITS PLAYING TO A TRICK AND HOLDS A CARD TOO MANY THE ADVERSARIES
 MAY CALL A NEW DEAL
 08: IF ONE HAS WON THE TRICK AND LEADS AGAIN BEFORE HIS PARTNER HAS PLAYED TO IT,
 THE ADVERSARY MAY OBLIGE HIS PARTNER TO WIN IT IF HE CAN.
 09: IF ONE HAS BUT 12 CARDS AND THE OTHER THREE THEIR PROPER NUMBER THE DEAL IS
 GOOD AND HE MUST PAY FOR ANY RENOUNCE, BUT IF EITHER HAVE 14 CARDS THE DEAL IS LOST.
 10: IF A DEALER DOES NOT TURN UP THE LAST CARD THE DEAL IS LOST
 11: EACH HAS A RIGHT BEFORE HE PLAYS TO CALL UPON THE PLAYERS TO PLACE THEIR
 PLAYED CARDS BEFORE THEM
 12: CARDS THROWN DOWN CANNOT BE TAKEN UP BUT MAY BE CALLED BY THE ADVERSARIES.
 13: duplicate of 05
 14: THE PARTY WHO REMINDS HIS PARTNER TO CALL AFTER THE TRUMP IS TURNED UP
 FORFEITS A POINT.
 15: THE ADVERSARY MAY CALL A NEW DEAL IF THE CARD IS TURNED UP IN DEALING,
 AND IF A CARD IS FACED IT IS DECIDEDLY A NEW DEAL.
 16: IN THE LAWS WHERE ONE IS CALL'D UPON TO PLAY TRUMP AND OMITS DOING SO HE
 HAVING ONE THE ADVERSARY MAY DEMAND THE CARDS RETRACED AND THE TRUMP PLAYED.
 17: IF ONE PLAYS OUT OF HIS TURN TO HIS PARTNERS LEAD THE LAST PLAYER MAY PLAY
 BEFORE THE FIRST, IF TO HIS ADVERSARYS HIS PARTNER MAY BE PREVENTED FROM WINNING IT.
 18: IF ONE PLAYS OUT OF HIS TURN THAT CARD MAY BE CALLED FOR AT ANY TIME AND THE
 PERSON WHOSE TURN IT IS MAY BE CALLED UPON TO PLAY ANY SUIT THE ADVERSARY CHOOSES.
 19: IF ONE CALLS AT ANY SCORE BUT 8 A NEW DEAL MAY BE DEMANDED. ALSO IF ONE CALLS
 WITHOUT 2 HONORS OR THE OTHER ANSWERS WITHOUT ONE
 20: IF ONE CALLS AFTER HE HAS PLAY'D THE ADVERSARY MAY CALL A NEW DEAL.
 21: IF A REVOKE IS CLAIMED THE ADVERSARIES FORFEIT THE PENALTY IF THEY MIX THE CARDS
 22: AT SHORT WHIST THERE IS SCARCELY ANY FINES(S)E IN THE 1st DEAL WHICH IS NOT
 JUSTIFIABLE, WHEN THE FAILURE LEAVES YOU AT 3 INSTEAD OF 4
 23: A REVOKE IS NOT GOOD UNTIL THE PARTY HAS PLAY'D AGAIN OR THE TRICK TURN'D
 BUT THE ADVERSARY MAY CALL FOR THE BEST OR WORST OF ANY SUIT DURING THE DEAL.
 24: A PLAYER MAY CALL A CARD FROM HIS ADVERSARY IF HE NAMES IT, SHOULD HE NAME
 WRONG HE MAY HAVE HIS BEST OR WORST OF ANY SUIT CALLED TO BE PLAYED DURING THE DEAL.

 The set of 24 (gilded) was issued in a 47mm tall lattern metal tube case:

The lid (diameter 30mm) shows four overlapping playing cards.