Euclid: A Mathematical Card Game from 1904
- Newt
- Apr 17
- 3 min read
On the 3rd of December, 1904, The Indianapolis News published a brief notice about a new card game called "Euclid," invented by E. J. Runyan, who worked in the costs department of the Nordyke & Marmon Company in Indianapolis.
His patent specified a few innovations, most notable of which was an unusual deck of 83 cards with asymmetric suits:
The newspaper article gave tantalizingly few details about gameplay, mentioning only that there were 28 points total in the game, with various cards counting for different point values. The card numbered 13 was described as the "Jonah" and subtracted seven points from the score of the player holding it at the end of the deal.
Two variants of the game were described: "Great Euclid," where cards are dealt to a board and built upon somewhat like in "Casino," and "Social Euclid," where no cards are dealt to the board, but players lead cards as in Euchre or Cinch, with the highest card taking the trick.
Interestingly, the 1904 newspaper notice did not specify how the suits were distinguished in the original deck. For our modern revival, I've chosen to differentiate them by color – black for the main 1-44 suit, and red, green, and blue for the three shorter suits – which provides clear visual distinction between the suits while maintaining the mathematical spirit of the game.
The number 4 cards, like the "pedros" in Cinch, count most for points and are the hardest to save. This creates a nice balance of risk and reward in the gameplay.
Our revival edition of Euclid comes with a special card containing the complete rules, making it easy to learn and reference during play. The deck's back design features a colorful illustration from Oliver Byrne's famous 1847 edition of "The Elements of Euclid," specifically his vibrant geometric visualization of Euclid's proof of the Pythagorean theorem. This beautiful design not only honors the game's mathematical namesake but also connects it to one of history's most innovative mathematical visualizations.
Who was E. J. Runyan?
E. J. Runyan was "in charge of the costs department of the Nordyke & Marmon Company" in Indianapolis. Beyond this professional information, his name appears regularly in the results of amateur golfing tournaments in Indianapolis newspapers of the era. He may have been the Edward J. Runyan who was briefly in court over a matter of fraudulent marriage, which was taken under advisement.
As is so often the case with these historical game patents, there is no record of a manufactured game eventuating. Nordyke & Marmon was primarily known for manufacturing flour milling machinery before eventually transitioning to automobile production (the Marmon Motor Car Company).
The Rules for Euclid
Based on the scant information in the newspaper notice and references to similar games of the period, I've reconstructed rules for both variants:
Great Euclid (Casino-style)
Deal 4 cards to each player and 4 to the board
On your turn, play a card to either capture matching cards/sums or add to the board
After all cards are played, deal 4 more until the deck is exhausted
Build combinations that only you can capture
Social Euclid (Trick-taking)
Deal 10 cards to each player
First player leads a card
Others must follow suit if possible
Highest card of the led suit wins the trick unless trumped
Save high cards to capture valuable point cards
Scoring (28 points total):
You can buy a reproduction of this game printed-on-demand at Make Playing Cards here, or create your own version using colored cardstock for the different suits.
Despite its mathematical name, Euclid doesn't require advanced mathematical skills to play – just the ability to match cards and count points. Its dual nature as both a capturing game and a trick-taking game provides variety rarely found in a single deck, making it a fascinating addition to any card game collection.
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