Tarocco Francese di Besancon .. how fabbo

omg so just got this one in today. I normally don't get all gushy over every Marseilles that comes my way but this one is different. The printing on it is MUCH different then others of that time that Il Meneghello has put out. Just a wonderful old world matt stock and the images are larger then most. Plus now it came wrapped in tarot wrapping paper. This added to the 22 Insetti in 22 Arcani Tarocchi that came in this week (In an official Il Mengehello cloth carrying bag.) I'm just pigging out on tarot ..

Do you mean this one? The "Francese" bit threw me...

Awww gush away, Edmund!!!!! Both Le Fanu and i love this deck, aye, R?
It is one of my favorite Meneghello's!

i LOVE the Death and Moon cards so much!!!! Along with everything else you stated, Edmund!
Meneghello is so gush worthy! The Besancon is extra special IMHO!

i remember when i got my very first Besancon a year or two ago, how i gushed to Le Fanu!

Yes, it's a wonderful deck. Doomed to languish unloved by many because of the Junon and Jupiter cards. I don't mind them. This deck is one of my favourite historic decks but then I seem to say that about so many. But this one really is!

Hurrah for unlaminated cardstock! I have two of them; I keep thinking of rounding the corners on one of them...

I love it, too! This is possibly my favorite of the historic decks. Glad you're thrilled with it, Edmund!

Soooo freaking beautiful! Just got this and I'm in awe. Absolutely unique. Pencil marks and all!

I can't help but think that some of those cards are not like the others.....

Le Fanu said:

I keep thinking of rounding the corners on one of them...

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Funny you should mention that... I have been thinking about rounding this deck too with a 3mm rounder. I debate it because the square corners look great, but it would be easier to shuffle. Somehow it seems wrong to tinker with a Meneghello (although I've rounded the corners of my small Visconti). What to do?

BSwett said:

I can't help but think that some of those cards are not like the others.....

Click to expand...

I posted somewhere about this.

I find it very strange that some of the minors have pencil numerals on them. If you look at the 7 and 10 of Cups you see that they are marked XX and XI respectively. If you look at Majors XX and XI, in my opinion, they look different. They don't look engraved. They look like watercolours/ pen & ink. Look at the faces in Judgment. I posted about this elsewhere but nobody believed me! I stick to what I said; those pencil numerals and the different-looking Trump cards are related.

It's a lovely deck. I believe elftarot78 here (who did the Dodal and Conver and Rio Marseilles) is working on a Besançon. I saw pictures on facebook.

Le Fanu, I totally believe you. 100%
I actually came to the same conclusion while going through the cards. I separated the II (Jvnon) and the VII (Strength) and XX (Judgement) when I saw the pencil marks and there is no doubt that those majors were made by a different hand with a different technique! It's like an extra side of love and devotion added to the history of this deck... I makes you wonder who? and when? and what did they look like, and how precious this deck was to them...

Fantastic.

I've had this cards for about 24 hours, and I have so much to say about them already... But this place is a little crowded. I'm moving this party to a new thread over at the Historical hall

Rounded Besancon

Well Fanu, your comment got me to round the corners. I used a 2mm rounder by Oregon Lamination. I can't see using any larger radius for this deck - the tightness of 2mm almost feels like a square corner.

And after I finished that, I did the same to several other Meneghello decks including the Soprafino.

I can imagine some people cringing when they read this... but I've come to change my mind about square corners. I originally thought they were all the rage, but they were snagging my tablecloth and poking me when I shuffled. It got to be that I was just looking at the decks and not using them. Since I've rounded the corners, I've begun using them without fear. And you know what? I think they actually look better.