Extremely rare original numbered set, #115 of 500 made. Complete! The Royal Fez Moroccan Tarot, 78 card deck, publisher London, Great Britain, Rigel Press, Lt. 1970 no date on box. Illustrator Michael Hobdell

This pack is #115 of 500 limited edition copies of the original issue of The Royal Fez Moroccan Tarot published by Rigel Press. The 78 cards are edged in gold/gilt. The Royal Fez Moroccan Tarot was conceived by Roland Berrill, founder of Mensa, in the late 1950's. Berrill commissioned the artist Michael Hobdell to do the artwork for this tarot. Hobdell died soon after completing the work. Berrill commissioned a limited and numbered print run of the deck (500 decks) but died before having time to market the deck. These lay dormant until 1970 when Rigel Press, Ltd. marketed the deck. . This tarot pack is, however, #115 of the limited to 500 original pack published and marketed by Rigel Press in 1970. Extremely rare and hard to find. A once in a lifetime find. The pack includes 78 gilt edged tarot cards and one card containing printed brief interps of the 1-10 cards of each suit of the minor arcana. The cards appear UNUSED, and the box shows only normal age/shelf wear. This is a super deck of Tarot cards.

The cards are 20 x 70mm. in excelent condition and the original blue box with green label (hand numbered in ink)shows very minimal age/shelf wear.

Reference: Encyclopedia of Tarot, Stuart R. Kaplan, 274-5. Berrill believed that the tarot was created by 12th century secret societies that existed in Fez, Morocco (thus the deck name). Berrill's deck is an attempt to recreate this Moroccan tarot. He does this mostly through the background images which seem to represent the Moroccan landscape. It is one of only a few early twentieth century tarots.

The Royal Fez Moroccan Tarot was conceived by Roland Berrill in the late 1950's. Berrill commissioned the artist Michael Hobdell to do the artwork for this tarot. Hobdell died soon after completing the work. Berrill commissioned a limited and numbered print run of the deck (500 decks) but died before having time to market the deck. These lay dormant until 1970 when Rigel Press, Ltd. marketed the deck.