Contraband Card Game, Pepys Series
First Published: 1950, Pepys Series by Castell Brothers Ltd. Bow Street, London & North Wallace Street, Glasgow and later St. Cross Street, London
Illustrator or Designer: Not Credited
Contents: 54 Cards, £10,000 in Pepys Currency + Rules Booklet
The pack contains: 1 Ruritanian Crown Jewels, 1 Diplomatic bag, 4 each of 7 items (Watch, Brandy, Perfume, Diamond Necklace, Silk Stockings, Whisky, Camera) and 24 identical cards showing items not liable for duty.
Contraband's various editions can be confusing. The 1st Edition has blue card backs and no Duty or Fine values on the cards, there is also a misspelling. The 2nd Edition corrects the Misspelling and adds values to the cards which now have red backs. The third and/or 4th editions change some of these values.
In addition to the cards there are differences in the Pepys Currency between editions. The 1st Edition currency is printed on thin card and hardly fits the box. In the 2nd and subsequent editions the currency is printed on paper and does fix the box but the range of colours used for different denominations changes.
In the 5th Edition we have a settled version with a new box and one known set of cards and currency.
I know that the 2nd Edition currency that Rex Pitts illustrated in his World of Playing Cards article doesn't match any set I have, hence my ambiguous numbering of editions 2-4. In the same article there are details of an interesting foreign language edition.
The game in its original box was produced until at least 1971. The fifth edition in the suitcase box was first produced circa 1973.
Lagoon reissued the game in 2011.
The "5th Edition" in the suitcase style box was part of Rex Pitts' personal collection, his temporary identification sticker is in the top left corner.
Game & Version Details
 | Contraband 1st Ed - Currency |
 | Contraband 2nd or 3rd Ed - Currency |
 | Contraband 3rd or 4th Ed - Currency |
 | Contraband 5th Ed - Currency |
 | Contraband 1st Ed - Card Back |
 | Contraband 2nd-4th Eds - Card Back |
 | Contraband 5th Ed - Card Back |
 | Contraband 1st Ed - Rules Front |
 | Contraband 1st Ed - Rules Back Games Advertised: Speed Sylabex Disney Wu-Pee I Commit Woodland Happy Families International Football Whist Mickey and the Beanstalk Faraway Tree Picture Dominoes |
 | Contraband 2nd or 3rd Ed - Rules Front Advertised: Pepys Series Games Club |
 | Contraband 2nd or 3rd Ed - Rules Back Games Advertised: Chase Woodland Snap Woodland Happy Families Faraway Tree Snow White Peter and the Wolf Disney Wu-Pee Mickey and the Beanstalk Speed Picture Dominoes Sylabex International Football Whist I Commit |
 | Contraband 3rd or 4th Ed- Rules Front |
 | Contraband 3rd or 4th Ed - Rules Back Games Advertised: Penalty Stocks & Shares Channel X |
 | Contraband 5th Ed - Rules Front |
 | Contraband 5th Ed - Rules Back Games Advertised: Penalty Stocks & Shares Channel X |
 | Contraband 1st-4th Eds - Box Top Side |
 | Contraband 1st-4th Eds - Box Side Left |
 | Contraband 1st-4th Eds - Box Bottom Side |
 | Contraband 1st-4th Eds - Box Side Right |
 | Contraband 5th Ed - Box Top |
 | Contraband 5th Ed - Box Side Left |
 | Contraband 5th Ed - Box Bottom Side |
 | Contraband 5th Ed - Box Side Right |