(page 319)The Tarot of Besançon has still less right to be attributed to Besançon than the Tarot of Marseille has to be attributed to Marseille. It was only in the most recent stages of its history, from around 1800 at the earliest, that it began to be manufactured, at least in consistent quantities, in Besançon; it is, however, convenient to maintain the commonly accepted name. In the 18th century, it was produced in Switzerland, Alsace, and Germany. In Switzerland, François Héri of Solothurn - the maker, for example of the definitive 1718 version of the Tarot of Marseille - made, probably around 1725, an undated deck which exemplifies the Tarot de Besançon (note 10). The oldest deck of this type that can be securely dated (page 320) is the work of Nicolas François Laudier of Strasbourg; the names of the makers and the city are written on the 2 of Cups and on the 2 of Denari, the initials of the maker on the 2 of Denari, the date 1746 and the name of the engraver (Pierre Isnard) on the shield of the Chariot, and his initials on the Knight of Swords (note 11). What is probably an older exemplar was made by Johann Pelagius Mayer of Constance (note 12). C.P. Hargrave dated it to 1680, and asserted that Mayer had arrived at Constance in the last part of the 17th century (note 13). Dr. Max Ruh has demonstrated that this is erroneous: Mayer was in fact born at Kempten in 1690, becoming a citizen of Constance in 1720 and is registered in documents of 1730 and 1777 (note 14). Another example was made by Neumur of Mannheim around 1750, and yet another by G. Mann of Colmar, dated 1752 (note 15). In the second half of the century, examples of the Tarot de Besançon, particularly of Swiss origin, become frequent."

(note 10 - Schweizer Spielkarten (I), p. 143)
(note 11 - See Tarot, jeu et magie, n. 44, pp. 74-5. A complete deck is in the Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires in Paris)
(note 12 - There is an exemplar in the Playing Card Museum of the United States Playing Card Company in Cincinnati, and another in the private collection of Albert Field of Astoria, New York City. For illustrations, see Catherine Perry HARGRAVE, A History of Playing Cards, New York, 1966 (reprint), p. 259, and of the backs on p. 260, and S.R. KAPLAN, The Encyclopedia of Tarot, New York, 1979, p. 136.)
(note 13 - C.P. HARGRAVE, op. cit., New York, 1930, pp. 262, 266.)
(note 14 - Cfr. Tarot, jeu et magie, n. 45, p. 75)
(note 15 - An exemplar of the deck of Neumur is at the British Museum, and one of Mann's decks in the Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires.)