Jane Short Antiques has dated this piece to the Regency era.
Pope Joan refers to the legend that Pope John VIII was actually a woman. As the Catholic Church denies a female pope, the legend was used as Protestant propaganda in the Victorian-Era, which also explains the popularity of the game in Scotland. The 9of diamonds is sometimes called the Curse of Scotland.
A staking board is required, with eight compartments labelled Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Game, Pope (9?), Matrimony (K Q of trumps) and Intrigue (Q J of trumps). Each player receives a number of counters, or chips, whose value is determined by the players involved in the game. The 8? is then removed from the pack to form a stop sequence, which classifies the game as a sub-group of the stop family of games. The aim of the game is to run out of cards before anyone else.
The circumference measures 26cm
The condition is good
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Jane Short Antiques has dated this piece to the Regency era.
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"Pope Joan" Regency Game Counter Wheel.
