| Shields | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Native name | German: Schilten |
| Deck | Swiss-suited playing cards |
| Invented | 15th century |
Shields (German: Schilten), also called Escutcheons, is one of the four playing card suits in a deck of Swiss-suited playing cards. This suit was invented in 15th century German speaking lands and is a survivor from a large pool of experimental suit signs created to replace the Latin suits. One example from the mid-15th century is a five-suited deck with the Latin suits plus a suit of shields.[1]
As its name suggests, the shield symbol is a stylized depiction of a warrior's shield in yellow. The coat of arms varies from deck to deck.
In the German language, the shield is called Schilten.
The following images depict the suit of Shields from an 1850 Swiss-suited pack:
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