Vintage 1950s Old Parr De Luxe Bakelite Poker Dice Set in Fitted Case

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Now this little set has stories to tell! A rare and fabulous vintage set of five butterscotch Bakelite poker dice … Read more Now this little set has stories to tell! A rare and fabulous vintage set of five butterscotch Bakelite poker dice created for Old Parr De Luxe Scotch whisky, complete with its wonderfully compact fitted black snap case.

The Bakelite has developed a beautiful warm patina, with subtle variations in tone and the unmistakable character that comes from decades of handling and play. Believed to date to the 1950s, this unusual set combines several wonderfully collectible categories: vintage Bakelite, gaming memorabilia and classic spirits advertising. The maker of the dice and exact nature of their original distribution are unknown.

Each of the five dice features six incised, color-filled poker designs, including a particularly wonderful customized Ace of Spades face reading “OLD PARR / DE LUXE.” The remaining faces depict traditional playing-card ranks with wonderfully detailed graphics: red Kings, green Queens, dark blue Jacks and red and black pips.

Old Parr is a historic blended Scotch whisky introduced in 1909 and named for Thomas Parr, the legendary Englishman reputed to have lived to the age of 152. Old Parr is also known to have produced gaming-related advertising pieces, including branded playing cards. Grand Old Parr De Luxe is documented in period bottlings from the mid-20th century, including the 1940s and 1950s. See less