Coming Soon...Aurum Deus

It's story time everyone. 🤓

In 2012, Aurum playing cards were delivered to collectors all around the world. A beautifully elegant deck of cards, it was available in three editions: the Sovereign standard edition featuring a rich purple hue, the limited edition White Gold and the ultra-rare Laser Cut edition. Aurum sold out quickly and has became an iconic collector deck. Seven years later, Aurum is rarely seen for sale as collectors treasure the decks they have. 

When Aurum was produced there was a promise that it would never be reprinted. One of the main results of that decision is the frequent emails asking if I have older decks available for a special deal, if I can part with any from the private reserve, or if I am open to trading for other desirable decks. Of all the designs Encarded has produced and the tens of thousands of decks in circulation, Aurum is by far the most requested.

When I designed Aurum I pushed the boundaries of detail and packaging available at the time and Aurum was, and continues to be, one of my personal favorites. My concept was to mix the Venetian styles of Carnival, the intricate glass and lace work Venice is known for, the subtle reflections seen on the watery channels throughout the city all in a package that spoke to royalty and luxury. The metallic inks, the intricate hand drawn details, the background pattern on the faces of the cards, the embossing and custom cutouts on the box…all of this worked together to create a beautifully unique deck of cards. 

And yet… Aurum was only my second large scale playing card project and I didn’t have the design experience or the current printing technologies to truly fulfill the ultimate vision of what I wanted Aurum to be. While the result of Aurum is undeniably beautiful it did not quite match the image in my mind, and with the experience I have gained over the years I think that now is the time to explore the successor to Aurum.

I have been working on this new creation for quite a while and call it Aurum Deus. It is the "second," a successor, but “godly” in its richness and beauty.

Aurum Deus features intricate foiling using the latest cold-foil technology that delivers incredible detail and even borderless foil, combined with detailed metallic purple inks that echo the original deck. The hand-drawn line work remains from the first deck, but is layered against an incredible new golden medallion that brings together Venetian elements of Carnival, Murano glasswork, lace and the city’s Moorish influences. The combination of foil and metallic inks creates a shimmer and visual richness unmatched in playing cards today.

Aurum Deus is getting close, so watch for more information on release dates, numbers and other details! As always, my Patrons will get first dibs on the deck release so please consider supporting Encarded and playing card art to have the best chance to get this limited edition deck.

Thank you, as always,

Paul Carpenter