1953 Trump 6 Set

    Description:  This is a low quality set from late 1953.  It appears that there are quite a few menko in this set, but I have only been able to locate 8 rikishi so far.  This print quality is low on the front and many of the menko are quite dark.  On the back it is hard to make out any of the numbers on the trump marks and the Hearts/Diamonds/Spades/ Clubs symbols are crude at best.  A very low ranked rikishi, Maegashira Itsutsunada, appears in this set so I am expecting similar ranked rikishi to appear in this set eventually.  There is also a good late era Yokozuna Azumafuji in here as well.

    Company: Unknown                                           Availability: Scarce

    Card Size: 1.50" X 3.0"                                      Card Material: Thin/Thick, Paper stock

     # of Cards: 13+                                                  Packaging: Taba

   Key Cards:  Any Yokozuna

   Winner Stamp Description:  Unknown

   Front Design:  Rikishi are standing in either their kesho-mawashi or it is a portrait shot with just their head against a solid color background.  Menko came in a smooth gloss, rough gloss or non-glossed version.  Non-glossed versions were printed on thin paper stock, leading me to believe that glossed versions were slammers.  Glossed versions were printed on thin paper stock and then glued onto a thicker paper stock so it's not unusual to find some menko with the glue giving way and the two pieces have separated.  As mentioned earlier, it's not a very high quality set.

   Back Design:  The rikishi's shikona is in big, bold letters in the top center of the menko.  Rank is in the upper right with a war term in the upper left.  Height is below rank and weight is below the war term.  In the middle of the menko is a 6 digit Fighting Number with the Gu-Choki-Pa mark directly to the right of that.  At the very bottom is a different playing card.  Menko backs were printed in either a blue/green ink or a black ink.

Kotonishiki
Banzuke Checklist					Numerical Checklist
Rank	Shikona	Fighting  #			Rank	Shikona	Fighting #
Yokozuna	Azumafuji	12610			Maegashira	Terunobori	801631
Yokozuna	Kagamisato	306102			Maegashira	Nayoroiwa	633631
Yokozuna	Chiyonoyama	130316			Ozeki	Mitsuneyama	601135
Ozeki	Mitsuneyama	601135			Maegashira	Shimizugawa-Version 2	514602
Ozeki	Yoshibayama	210610			Maegashira	Itsutsunada	501151
Sekiwake					Maegashira	Wakabayama	416203
Komusubi					Maegashira	Tsunenoyama	410613
Maegashira	Shimizugawa-Version 1	216315			Maegashira	Kotonishiki	310331
Maegashira	Shimizugawa-Version 2	514602			Yokozuna	Kagamisato	306102
Maegashira	Kotonishiki	310331			Maegashira	Shimizugawa-Version 1	216315
Maegashira	Itsutsunada	501151			Ozeki	Yoshibayama	210610
Maegashira	Tsunenoyama	410613			Yokozuna	Chiyonoyama	130316
Maegashira	Nayoroiwa	633631			Yokozuna	Azumafuji	12610
Maegashira	Terunobori	801631
Maegashira	Wakabayama	416203