Escape Map Playing Cards

WWII Commemorative map deck.

During the Second World War, the United States Playing Card Company quietly produced one of the most unusual decks of playing cards ever made.

Working alongside American and British intelligence agencies, USPCC created what became known as the Escape Map Deck. At first glance, it looked like a standard deck of playing cards. In reality, concealed between the paper layers of each card were detailed escape maps showing routes, rail lines and border crossings across German-occupied Europe.

These decks were distributed to Allied prisoners of war via aid parcels. When soaked in water, the cards could be carefully separated, revealing the hidden maps inside — providing vital information to prisoners attempting to escape and evade capture.

Because of their classified nature, the production and distribution of these decks remained secret long after the war ended. Very few original examples are known to survive today. One is held by the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., with another believed to be in private hands. It’s entirely possible these are the only confirmed originals still in existence.

This modern deck inspired by these cards pays tribute to that remarkable story, celebrating a moment where playing cards became tools of resistance, survival, and quiet ingenuity.

While fully usable for traditional card games, this deck is best appreciated as a historical curiosity, a tangible reminder of how ordinary objects played extraordinary roles during wartime.