What does the 808 on the Joker and Ace of Spades of a Bicycle deck of cards mean?

The United States Playing Card Company began as a printing company called Russell, Morgan & Company. Russell and Morgan produced their very first deck of cards in a Cincinnati, Ohio factory back in 1881. The brand was called “Tigers” and the number assigned to these new decks was 101.

A short while later, the numbers 202 and 303 were used when the firm printed decks under the “Army” and “Navy” brands. The “Congress” brand and a few others were produced and given similar numbers in sequential order. Eventually Russell and Morgan introduced the Bicycle® playing card line and assigned it the number 808.

Over 125 years later, Bicycle Cards became the most popular brand of playing cards in the world, and the number 808 continues to be used on the Ace and Jokers provided with each and every deck manufactured.