An extremely rare geographical playing card pack

A very scarce pack of geographical playing cards by Henry Winstanley, illustrated with city views and illustrations of local dress. The pack uses the French suits adopted in the English-speaking world: although each suit represents a continent, every card has an additional symbol also marking a continent. Thus the European cards have Hearts and rose symbols; the American Clubs and a black star; Asian Diamonds and a sun; and African Spades and a black crescent moon. The court cards have a crown or broad-brimmed hat (for the knave) and are named (except in Clubs), the other cards have Roman numerals. The Aces have a female allegorical figure of the continent before an unnamed city prospect; the other cards have a named city and two figures illustrating local dress, sometimes native and colonist. The towns include: (Hearts) London, Constantinople, Moscow; (Clubs) Jamestown, Boston, Santa Fé; (Diamonds) Jerusalem, Mecca, Samarkand; (Spades) Tangiers, Cairo, Elmina and Mozambique. All cards have an engraved text description underneath. The deck's attribution comes from the Ace of Hearts, which has 'H. Winstanley at Littelbury Fecit' at the bottom. Winstanley (1644-1703) was a painter who is believed to have been taught etching by Wenceslaus Hollar. He also opened 'Winstanley's Water-works' an early amusement arcade in Piccadilly, filled with mechanical gadgets he has constructed. After making a considerable amount of money he became a merchant and, after losing two of his ships on the infamous Eddystone Rocks, he designed and built the first lighthouse there, completed 1698. However he was inside his lighthouse during the 'Great Storm' of 1703 and both he and his lighthouse were swept away. The set was first published c.1676, but this pack is a posthumous edition probably published by John Lenthall: the text of the King of Hearts, titled 'English', refers to 'Great Britain', thus dating this edition to after the Act of Union in 1707. Lenthall (fl. 1708-33), published several packs of cards, including an astronomical set by Joseph Moxon, English and Welsh counties probably engraved by John Sturt and William Redmayne's counties. The missing cards are: Four of Hearts (Amsterdam - Holanders); Two of Clubs (Witsborg - Australes); and Seven of Diamonds (Nan Quin - Chinaes).