Smith-Waite Centennial Deck in a Tin

Smith-Waite Centennial Deck in a Tin and the Commemorative Set

8/2/2015

Smith-Waite Tarot in a tin vs PCS Commemorative Set

I recently received the Smith-Waite Tarot Deck Centennial Edition in a tin and compared it to the Pamela Coleman Smith (PCS) Commemorative Set (2009) in a video. In the video I go through the whole commemorative set. There is a size and card stock difference. Other than that, the artwork & color is identical.

I love the deck that comes with the commemorative edition, but I avoid using it since I view it as a collector's edition & want to keep it in the best condition possible. So I'm really enjoying the size & portability of this deck in a tin. It is smaller, but it loses no detail. And, it feels good in my hands! (See video and picture of size comparisons below.)

I forgot to mention in the video that the Smith-Waite Centennial Deck came with two bonus cards from PCS's non-tarot artwork. It appears that the bonus cards that came with the deck may vary.

The one that is shown in this link on the US Games Inc website is a different image from the two I received. (See image below of the two that came with my deck.) It would be fun to put these two cards into the deck for an extra twist to a reading!

It's so lovely to shuffle, the images are wonderful & just like the deck in the PCS set. The only real difference is felt in the size. Best of all, I am using it, since I'm not hung up on trying to preserve it!

Left to right: Mini Lo Scarabeo Secret Tarot, Mini Antiquarian Tarot, Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot that comes in a tin, Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot that comes with the Commemorative Set.

Smith-Waite Tarot Deck Centennial Edition with two bonus cards. Left: Illustration by PCS for a children's book called Little Charles, 1903. Right: Illustration by PCS of a scene from Deirdre, Act III, 1903.

L to R: Lo Scarabeo Secret Tarot mini, Smith-Waite Centennial Edition in tin, Antiquarian Tarot mini (bridge size).

25 Comments

Divine Muses

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Maree Bento is a collage artist and practitioner of the mystical & healing arts.

She’s a tarot reader and deck creator who enjoys studying the stars and using astrology in her readings. She was born under a Sagittarius Sun with Libra Rising and Capricorn Moon conjunct Pallas Athena.

Maree has been a licensed massage therapist for 18 years practicing various holistic modalities for body, mind, and spiritual well-being & connection.

Her background in the healing arts deepened her intuitive abilities and inspires her approach to tarot, creativity, and divination. Music, dancing, poetry, and lemon balm tea are her current well-being aids.

She's a Portuguese-American who loves to travel and connect with family, friends, & animals. She lives in Pacific NW with her beloved, David, and their huggable hound, Dante, who perpetually reminds them to laugh and play and take walks in nature, whether rain or shine.

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Marianne

8/2/2016 02:32:39 pm

Nice video! How did you video shoot that by the way? Is there a video stand that you're using to keep it in a zoomed-in view?

Thank you for sharing! I have the Centennial edition of the Rider-Waite Smith and it has 4 extra Shakespeare card scenes in it that includes the Midsummer Night's Dream. It didn't came from a tin when I purchased it three weeks ago. They were my very first Rider-Waite based tarot deck; my first tarot deck is the Fairy Tale Tarot by Lisa Hunt.

divineMuses

10/11/2016 12:22:15 pm

Hi Marianne, I'm only just seeing your comment. I use a tripod and work around it.

How are you enjoying the RWS deck? Did your deck come in the large box with the books? Or did you get a tuck box version?

10/4/2017 04:12:21 pm

I love the RWS Centennial deck. 😊 I have it for almost a year now and I am enjoying it. I don't use tarot cards much anymore nowadays as I am busy at both work and school. I still have them though but just keep them tucked up inside one of my bags. I got a tuck box version when I purchased it. 😊

Kaleema

10/11/2016 09:44:01 am

This is my first deck. I am learning with the help of the ultimate guide to tarot by Liz Dean. The extra cards keep coming up (especially the card with the couple by the water and the seven birds) and I have no idea how to interpret them. Please help!

divineMuses link

10/11/2016 12:20:11 pm

Hi Kaleema! First of all, I think it is wonderful you are using the extra cards. Some people just take those out of the deck and use them as bookmarks or something. ;) To interpret this card, look at how the image is reflecting in the question you asked. This specific illustration by Pamela Colman Smith was used in "The Green Sheaf" one of her publication endeavors. It is a scene from William Butler Yeats' version of the three act Irish Play, called Deirdre. This is from Act III. The original caption with this illustration says, "Do you not see them? The bright birds which sing at our flight! Look how they wheel about us as they sing." (The Green Sheaf, #7, Supplement, 1903.) Does this caption say anything to you? Look at the image and explore what is happening. I believe that the gentleman is saying these words to Deirdre. Is she resisting him? They seem to be looking deeply into each others eyes, but she puts her arm up. Perhaps something else keeps her from accepting this man's love. Tell me what you are sensing from this card when you pull it?

Katja

3/15/2021 09:37:59 am

Hey! Thank u for the answer! But i got it in reverse... i have the feeling she doesnt really appreciate him and his love, thats what i am getting, but in reverse?

Melanie Poole link

2/8/2022 06:46:25 pm

Thank you this is really helpful

Nicole

8/10/2017 08:52:39 am

I keep getting the bonus card with the grandgrandmother and kids. What does it mean?! Would share a photo of the spread but unsure how

8/10/2017 09:19:26 am

Hi Nicole,

Thanks for your comment. Like I said to the previous commenter, people generally take those extra cards out of the deck. It's nice to throw them in sometimes, but before you use them you'll want to interpret their meaning for yourself. What does this setting conjure up for you? Do you see yourself as the grandmother figure or do you relate to anyone else in the card? The children, the woman with her back to us? Look at how the image is reflecting the question you asked. Smith's illustration was created for a children's book called Little Charles. Perhaps think about the different archetypes in children's books? The Grandmother archetype can speak to a warm, loving and wise feminine figure. The Child archetype is innocent like the Fool card and wants to play and explore—perhaps this is your inner-child? Explore the card and how it relates to your question. Please comment if you have an epiphany!

Edouard d'Araille link

11/15/2020 01:49:54 pm

Commenting on the 'Grandmother' card at DivineMuses.net. This is a very positive card and especially relevant in some readings. It has several meanings dependent on the person requesting the reading. It can mean that you will have the good fortune to be able to see the offspring of your success, especially in the emotional sense and regarding your own legacy, by blood or otherwise. It is a particularly relevant card for someone who is neither a child nor elderly. It answers the question - which the woman looking out the window may be pondering - of "what will become of me? will I manage to become so old, retaining my happiness, that I will be able to enjoy intercourse with future generations?" - It answers that question in the positive, though of course the reversed card would provide the opposite answer - that you will not be able to enjoy your good fortune far into the future. This could even be relating to progeny of a financial kind (for a company can be a person's creation), or the creations of an artist (books, music, art). This is a very interesting addition as a card and should be welcomed, along with the second alternative included on DivineMuses.net, to create an 80-card pack for readings. I will post my comments regarding the other card also.

2/8/2022 06:48:11 pm

Thanks again

Marsha

8/25/2022 09:22:28 pm

Thank you for this information. I just received my Smith-Waite deck and didn't realize it came with these 2 extra cards. I just had a life changing Akashic Records Meditation and afterwards, went to pull a card for a message on what I saw and the grandmother and children popped out during my shuffle. It was the message to a question I needed. Life.Changing. Thank you for the clarity.

Alea

10/4/2017 10:05:59 am

Hello, I have a question about the card with the family (grandmother, mother, and two children) the illustration of the Little Charlies 1903. What is the cards definition in the upright and reverse? I’ve drawn this card asking “What do I need to know about today?” It was only a signle card reading.

10/4/2017 12:14:58 pm

Hi Alea, please see my previous reply to Nicole about this card. Thanks!

Megan

6/23/2018 05:20:40 am

Hello!

Can you please tell me where you got that spread cloth? I adore it! Thank you :)

7/25/2018 02:56:13 pm

Hello Megan, I apologize for the late reply. I'm just seeing your comment. That is a spread mat that I sold in the past. I may offer it again in the future. If you're interested in getting one, let me know! (Contact me via my About tab.) It's quite large and I like to use it for reading events on poker tables.

Jenny

8/18/2018 12:28:31 pm

Hello
You are the only one who have the 2 extra card post. Can you please tell me what they mean? Thank youuuuu
Love your blog

Audrey

9/8/2019 08:30:02 am

I bought this deck last month and did my first reading for myself last night. The Grandmother card appeared in the third position. I was so delighted!! It was magic to have this unfamiliar, unnamed card appear and allow me the freedom to interpret it for myself. Thank you for this clarifying thread.

Carolyn J Kraus

12/20/2019 06:59:34 pm

Hello! Is there anyone out there that can tell me what the dreamer card in the Smith Tarot deck represents?

Divine Muses link

12/20/2019 07:13:55 pm

Hi Carolyn,

I'm not sure which card you are referring to? Can you explain the image on the Dreamer card? I believe you are referring to one of the extra cards that come with the Smith deck. My deck only came with the two shown here. I have another Smith-Waite Tarot that has other bonus cards, but still not sure which one you are referring to? You may already know this, but, these extra cards were added as a commemoration for Smith's artwork (which wasn't meant to be a part of the tarot.) I've been reading the extra cards like oracle cards. Tell me the image you are referring to and I'll see if I can help!

Eline Vandervaren link

3/31/2021 01:09:33 am

The card with the grandma & kids keeps coming up and I don’t know what it means... help meeee

3/31/2021 01:24:20 pm

Hello, this has been discussed in the comments above. I hope that helps.

Jose Luis

4/10/2021 05:18:53 pm

Hi! I have the Smith-Waite Tarot Deck because I was extremely attracted to it once I saw all the different tarot cards. I now opened it and as I shuffled them with a question in mind and one of the extra cards came out. “Once in a dream,” from The Green Sheaf, No. 2. I’m not sure what that means? To me the image seems like there will be love opportunities from the past? Or there is a new start and love is coming. It makes me think about moving on from misfortune in the past. Could you please help me understand the card more! Thank you!!

Annette

4/27/2021 12:49:50 pm

hi, I just got a traditional rider waite deck but there's an extra card where the picture is same as the one on the tin box you're talking about -can you tell me what card that is?

4/27/2021 12:57:45 pm

guess it's a waite smith deck but called rider waite :? I love pcs' illustrations -very intuitive! but this card definitely doesn't belong with this if that clarifies anything -I know this deck and only saw the card on the tin box -hope you can help