​​my playing card collection

Aluette is a card game played in South-Western France using a 48 card latin-suited deck. The game Aluette (or La Vache, which means a cow in French) was documented in the sixteenth century by Francois Rabelais, author of Gargantua and Pantagruel. Some people believe it is older than this because of the use of a Spanish styled deck. The French styled deck came out in the fifteenth century, and would have been more likely to be used then, instead of a Spanish deck. 

This is an easy trick taking game for 2 or 4 players in partnerships where there is no trump suit and no obligation to follow suit. Patrners communicate with a fixed system of gestures, for example raising the eyes, winking, or miming a "moo" for La Vache, the two of cups. The winner of a trick, is the person who plays the highest ranking card. In the case of a tie, the trick is set aside, and the winner of the next trick takes both tricks. The object of the standard game is to get the most tricks. Information on the rules of the game can be found here ...  

http://www.pagat.com/put/aluette.html#other   and here   http://www.renfesthq.com/renaissance-games/aluette/    

There is an 1890 tax stamp on the two of swords. This stamp was in use in France from 1890 to 1917, and from 1922 to 1940. The text reads 'RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE' and 'DÉCRET DU 12 AVRIL 1890'. This is the third edition of this design from Grimaud and dates from before 1890. The previous edition didn't have tinted faces. Packs were usually stamped when they were marketed and could have been printed earlier.

Information on the history and elvolution of the design can be found here http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluette and here http://www.aluette.net/