In the 1830s, Henry Wheeler was a playing card maker whose name appears in historical records connected with the illicit production of cards during a period when the British government tightly regulated the trade through stamp duties. Playing cards were heavily taxed, and fraudulent makers often sought to evade these duties by producing unstamped or falsely marked cards, undercutting licensed manufacturers. Wheeler's activities, which brought him to the attention of authorities, illustrate the widespread resistance to these taxes among small scale producers struggling to survive in a competitive market. His case reflects both the economic pressures faced by card makers in the early nineteenth century and the governments efforts to enforce revenue laws tied to everyday leisure goods.
Under the heavy stamp duty laws on playing cards at the time, the Ace of Spades had to be an official card printed under government authority showing that the duty had been paid. Forging or counterfeiting such a card was a serious crime. Wheeler's conviction for using forged aces intended to evade the duty led to his lifelong transportation in 1837 to a penal colony in Australia.
Could this Ace of Spades be a card that was forged by Henry Wheeler. Well the garter duty ace with die number 76 was first registered by Thomas Wheeler (a relative of Henry Wheeler) in February 1810. The design is unusual and unique to Thomas Wheeler. The inner spade suit symbol has a wavy line and the numbers 13 44 below. The date 1344 is the year Edward III started a movement which led to the formation of the 'Order of the Garter' a few years later. The name Hunt has been crudely added in place of the name T Wheeler which you would expect to see. Hunt was a card maker active between 1790 - 1804 and his name would not normally be seen on this style of ace. Is this a forgery?