GAME: 'PIT'

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1912 - 1915

Subcollections

Overview

Game of Pit cards and box. 'Five Hundred' rules and Joker

a) Rectangular booklet with rounded corners. Printed in dark grey on front 'Rules for Game of Five Hundred with Score Table'. Inside rules for the game are printed. The back has score table in thick print.

b) Inside the booklet is a joker playing card showing the joker riding on a bike next to a milestone marked 808.

c) Pit game cards. Cards include 9 rye, 9 oats, 9 hay, 9 flax cards,1 bull cards, 9 corn, 9 wheat, 9 barley and 1 bear card.

d) A5 paper with Rules of the game.

e) Lower part of card box is divided in 2 to accommodate the cards. Left side holds 9 rye, 9 oats, 9 hay, 9 flax cards and 1 bull cards. Right side holds 9 corn, 9 wheat, 9 barley and 1 bear card.

f) Pit card game box. Rectangular cardboard box with red leather covering. Printed on the lid in silver: 'Bull and Bear Edition/Pit/Patented in Great Britain/U.S. Patent, March 22, 1904/Exciting Fun for Everyone/Parker Brothers, incorporated/Salem, Mass., U.S.A.'

Historical information

Parker Brothers developed The Pit card game in 1904, with this Bull and Bear edition dating between 1912 and 1915. Pit is a fast paced card game simulating the open outcry bidding system of the commodity exchange used at the Chicago Board of Trade which was known as the “Pit.” The original game consisted of seven commodities—wheat (100 points), barley (85 points), corn (75 points), rye (70 points), oats (60 points), hay (50 points) and flax (40 points)—which players would exchange until one player held nine cards of the same commodity and announced they have “a corner” on the market. The player gets the points for that commodity; doubling their points they hold the Bull, while the player holding the Bear loses 20 points. The game is played until a player reaches a set amount of points. Like many early 19th century games such as “Monopoly” or “Life,” Pit introduces children to modern American society in a fun and exciting way, bringing a small lesson into a youngster’s playtime.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-43-1985.1755a-f

Item type

Objects

Inscriptions and markings

Bull and Bear Parker Brothers

Keywords

Recreation - Games

Possible Newman

Year

1912 - 1915