[BUYERS' GUIDE] Monarchs by Theory 11

[Spectre]

I've been wanting to do this for a while now as I have seen a number of people asking about the Monarchs decks by Theory 11 over the years. With the question recently being asked by Justin O. earlier and the pending release of a new Monarchs deck. I figure now is a good time.

First a simple list:
1. Pre Release (Four Leafs on Bottom Left and Top Right on back of Tuck Case/Card Backs, Inverted Circle 11 Logo on bottom of tuck, Rounded Seal, Clear Pull Cello) (Same as the Original Release V1 Monarchs, however my deck the seam on the cello is on the opposite side than all my other Monarch decks. The other person I know that has one is the same way. Not sure if this may be a way to identify a pre-release deck or not)
2. Monarchs Blue V1 (Four Leafs, Inverted Circle 11 Logo, Rounded Seal, Clear Pull Cello)
3. Monarchs Blue (I call V2 but T11 still calls V1 so lets say V1a)(Four Leafs, Circle 11 Logo on bottom, from this point on all logos are right side up, Rounded Seal, Clear Pull)
4. Monarchs White/Gold V1 (Four Leafs, Circle 11 Logo, Rounded Seal, Clear Pull)
5. Monarchs White/Silver (Four Leafs, Circle 11 Logo, Rounded Seal, Clear Pull)
6. Monarchs Eleven Madison Park V1 (EMP Back, Circle 11 Logo, Rounded Seal, Clear Pull)
7. Monarchs Blue V2 (Five Leafs, Circle 11 Logo, Jagged Seal, Clear Pull)
8. Monarchs Red V1 (Five Leafs, Circle 11 Logo, Jagged Seal, Clear Pull, and red tuck color slightly muted)
9. Monarchs White/Gold V2 (Five Leafs, Circle 11 Logo, Jagged Seal, Clear Pull)
10. Monarchs Eleven Madison Park (EMP Back, Circle 11 Logo, Jagged Seal) (Most will say there was only one run of EMPs, But there are two different seals some are rounded some are jagged)
11. Monarchs Blue V3 or V4 if you are like me...(Five Leafs, What I call the TX1 Logo (a T, X and 1 on top of one another), Jagged Seal, Thick Gold Pull on Cello)
12. Monarchs Red V2 (Five Leafs, TX1 Logo, Jagged Seal, Thick Gold Pull) (Red tuck color is brighter)
13. Monarchs Green V1 (Five Leafs, TX1 Logo, Jagged Seal, Thick Gold Pull)
14. Monarchs Gold (Five Leafs, TX1 Logo, Jagged Seal, Thick Gold Pull)(Entire tuck is gold)
15. Monarchs Blue V3a or V5 (Five Leafs, TX1 Logo, Jagged Seal, Thin Gold Pull)
16. Monarchs Red V2a or V3 (Five Leafs, TX1 Logo, Jagged Seal, Thin Gold Pull)
17. Monarchs Green V1a or V2 (Five Leafs, TX1 Logo, Jagged Seal, Thin Gold Pull)
18. Monarchs NYSM2 (Five Leaf, TX1 Logo, Jagged Seal, Thin Gold Pull)
19. Monarchs Blue V3b or V6 (Five Leafs, Script Logo, Jagged Seal, Thin Gold Pull)
20. Monarchs Red V2b or V4 (Five Leafs, Script Logo, Jagged Seal, Thin Gold Pull)
21. Monarchs Green V1b or V3 (Five Leafs, Script Logo, Jagged Seal, Thin Gold Pull)
22. Monarchs Purple (Five Leafs, Script Logo, Jagged Seal, Thin Gold Pull)
23. Monarchs Mandarin Edition (Five Leafs, Script Logo, Jagged Seal, Thin Gold Pull)

[Spectre]

1. Pre Release Monarchs

The same tuck as the V1 Monarchs. The cards were initially printed with gold ink on a dark blue background. Theory 11 decided they didn't look as well as expected so they destroyed them and reprinted with white and a dark blue background. 111 of the decks were sold and a few where kept by Theory 11. In total there is believed to be 144 decks in existence.

1 Pre Release Front.jpg (413.14 KiB) Viewed 10864 times

Of note: Clear cellophane pull tab

1 Pre Release Back.jpg (415.61 KiB) Viewed 10864 times

Of Note: Rounded Seal, four leafs on the bottom left and top right branches.

1 Pre Release Bottom.jpg (421.21 KiB) Viewed 10864 times

Of Note: The ad copy is printed upside down as the deck is placed right side up. Also the older Circle 11 logo.

1 Pre Release Side A.jpg (320.76 KiB) Viewed 10864 times

Of Note: The seam of the cellophane, on this copy anyways, is on the opposite side of the deck from other V1 Monarchs.
(Pre Release on the left, V1 on the right)

[Spectre]

2. Monarchs Blue V1

The first official release of the Monarchs. Everything about the tuck is the same as the pre release. (Except for the cellophane possibly)

2 Blue V1 Front.jpg (451.07 KiB) Viewed 10861 times

Of Note: Clear cellophane pull tab.

3 Blue V2 Back.jpg (442.59 KiB) Viewed 10861 times

Of Note: Of Note: Rounded Seal, four leafs on the bottom left and top right branches.

2 Blue V1 Bottom.jpg (421.56 KiB) Viewed 10861 times

Of Note: The ad copy is printed upside down as the deck is placed right side up and the older Circle 11 logo.

[Spectre]

3. Monarchs Blue V2 (T11 still calls V1)

Very minor adjustment on this release. The ad copy on the bottom of the tuck was flipped to be right side up.

3 Blue V2 Front.jpg (442.76 KiB) Viewed 10860 times

Of note: Clear cellophane pull tab

3 Blue V2 Back.jpg (442.59 KiB) Viewed 10860 times

Of Note: Rounded Seal, four leafs on the bottom left and top right branches.

3 Blue V2 Bottom.jpg (415.55 KiB) Viewed 10860 times

Of Note: The ad copy is printed right side up as the deck is placed right side up and the older Circle 11 logo.

[Spectre]

4. Monarchs White/Gold V1

First release of the White and Gold Monarchs (Originally just called Gold Monarchs until the release of the solid Gold tuck).

4 White-Gold V1 Front.jpg (363.43 KiB) Viewed 10859 times

Of note: Clear cellophane pull tab

4 White-Gold V1 Back.jpg (373.57 KiB) Viewed 10859 times

Of Note: Rounded Seal, four leafs on the bottom left and top right branches.

4 White-Gold V1 Bottom.jpg (379.85 KiB) Viewed 10859 times

Of Note: The ad copy is printed right side up as the deck is placed right side up and the older Circle 11 logo.

[Spectre]

5. Monarchs White/Silver

First and only release for the White and Silver Monarchs to date.

5 White-Silver Front.jpg (315.26 KiB) Viewed 10859 times

Of note: Clear cellophane pull tab

5 White-Silver Back.jpg (325.94 KiB) Viewed 10859 times

Of Note: Rounded Seal, four leafs on the bottom left and top right branches.

5 White-Silver Bottom.jpg (327.46 KiB) Viewed 10859 times

Of Note: The ad copy is printed right side up as the deck is placed right side up and the older Circle 11 logo.

[Spectre]

6. Monarch Eleven Madison Park V1

This deck was printed for the Eleven Madison Park restaurant and was not sold to the public by Theory 11. As such it can be difficult to obtain on the open market.

6 EMP V1 Front.jpg (322.33 KiB) Viewed 10857 times

Of note: Clear cellophane pull tab and the made exclusively for Eleven Madison Park print - Special Edition etc

6 EMP V1 Back.jpg (330.48 KiB) Viewed 10857 times

Of Note: Rounded Seal, and the four leafs on the bottom left and right and top left and right branches are different than normal Monarchs and instead of the sword hilt at the top and bottom there is a leaf instead.

6 EMP V1 Bottom.jpg (347.79 KiB) Viewed 10857 times

Of Note: The ad copy is printed right side up as the deck is placed right side up and the older Circle 11 logo.

6 EMP V1 Side.jpg (207.18 KiB) Viewed 10857 times

Of Note: The sides of the deck at the top is also embellished with the same leaves as on the back and front.

[Spectre]

7. Monarchs Blue V3

With this printing of the Monarchs there came a few changes. The cards backs have a slightly narrower boarder and there was a change to the backs to add some more leafs. The seals were also changed to the jagged edge.

7 Blue V3 Front.jpg (457.64 KiB) Viewed 10856 times

Of note: Clear cellophane pull tab

7 Blue V3 Back.jpg (461.05 KiB) Viewed 10856 times

Of Note: Jagged Seal and five leafs on the bottom left and top right branches.

7 Blue V3 Bottom.jpg (426.3 KiB) Viewed 10856 times

Of Note: The ad copy is printed right side up as the deck is placed right side up and the older Circle 11 logo.

Backs.jpg (448.86 KiB) Viewed 10856 times

Of Note: Narrower borders and extra leaves (Older example on the right)

[Spectre]

8. Monarch Red V1

The first version of the Red Monarchs was released with a slightly muted tuck case.

8 Red V1 Front.jpg (398.94 KiB) Viewed 10854 times

Of note: Clear cellophane pull tab

8 Red V1 Back.jpg (406.23 KiB) Viewed 10854 times

Of Note: Jagged Seal and five leafs on the bottom left and top right branches.

8 Red V1 Bottom.jpg (370.65 KiB) Viewed 10854 times

Of Note: The ad copy is printed right side up as the deck is placed right side up and the older Circle 11 logo.

[Spectre]

9. Monarchs White/Gold V2

The second release of the White and Gold Monarchs came with all the recent changes. The thinner borders and the change from four leafs to five on the card backs. Additionally the seal went from a rounded version to the newer jagged version.

9 White-Gold V2 Front.jpg (360.76 KiB) Viewed 10852 times

Of note: Clear cellophane pull tab

9 White-Gold V2 Back.jpg (394.26 KiB) Viewed 10852 times

Of Note: Jagged Seal and five leafs on the bottom left and top right branches.

9 White-Gold V2 Bottom.jpg (399.48 KiB) Viewed 10852 times

Of Note: The ad copy is printed right side up as the deck is placed right side up and the older Circle 11 logo.

[Spectre]

10. Monarchs Eleven Madison Park V2

I have read in several places that there was only one edition of the EMP deck printed. While that may be true, there are decks out there with rounded seals and decks with jagged seals. (Which is the only difference between this version and the previous)

10 EMP V2 Front.jpg (329.01 KiB) Viewed 10850 times

Of note: Clear cellophane pull tab and the made exclusively for Eleven Madison Park print - Special Edition etc

10 EMP V2 Back.jpg (343.88 KiB) Viewed 10850 times

Of Note: Jagged Seal, and the four leafs on the bottom left and top right branches are different than normal Monarchs and instead of the sword hilt at the top and bottom there is a leaf instead.

6 EMP V1 Bottom.jpg (347.79 KiB) Viewed 10850 times

Of Note: The ad copy is printed right side up as the deck is placed right side up and the older Circle 11 logo.

6 EMP V1 Side.jpg (207.18 KiB) Viewed 10850 times

Of Note: The sides of the deck at the top is also embellished with the same leaves as on the back and front.

[Spectre]

11. Monarchs Blue V4

The changes with this release include a switch to the logo on the ad copy on the bottom of the deck and the switch to a thick gold band on the cellophane.

11 Blue V4 Front.jpg (443.13 KiB) Viewed 10839 times

Of note: Thick gold cellophane band and pull tab

11 Blue V4 Back.jpg (449.05 KiB) Viewed 10839 times

Of Note: Jagged Seal and five leafs on the bottom left and top right branches.

11 Blue V4 Bottom.jpg (419.99 KiB) Viewed 10839 times

Of Note: The ad copy is printed right side up as the deck is placed right side up and the newer TX1 logo.

[Spectre]

12. Monarchs Red V2

The major difference between this version and the previous version is the tuck color is a little more brighter red. Other differences include the thicker gold band on the cellophane and the logo change on the ad copy on the bottom of the deck.

12 Red V2 Front.jpg (412.65 KiB) Viewed 10838 times

Of note: Thick gold cellophane band and pull tab and the brighter red tuck.

12 Red V2 Back.jpg (410.02 KiB) Viewed 10838 times

Of Note: Jagged Seal and five leafs on the bottom left and top right branches.

12 Red V2 Bottom.jpg (375.64 KiB) Viewed 10838 times

Of Note: The ad copy is printed right side up as the deck is placed right side up and the newer TX1 logo.

[Spectre]

13. Monarchs Green V1

Then came the Green Monarchs.

13 Green V1 Front.jpg (390.83 KiB) Viewed 10839 times

Of note: Thick gold cellophane band and pull tab

13 Green V1 Back.jpg (408.75 KiB) Viewed 10839 times

Of Note: Jagged Seal and five leafs on the bottom left and top right branches.

13 Green V1 Bottom.jpg (384.74 KiB) Viewed 10839 times

Of Note: The ad copy is printed right side up as the deck is placed right side up and the newer TX1 logo.

[Spectre]

14. Monarchs Gold

Then the all Gold Monarchs. There has only been one print run of these to date. Mostly these have been given away by Theory 11 as gifts on special sales if a certain dollar amount is spent.

14 Gold Front.jpg (348.51 KiB) Viewed 10836 times

Of note: Thick gold cellophane band and pull tab.

14 Gold Back.jpg (366.95 KiB) Viewed 10836 times

Of Note: Jagged Seal and five leafs on the bottom left and top right branches.

14 Gold Bottom.jpg (335.75 KiB) Viewed 10836 times

Of Note: The ad copy is printed right side up as the deck is placed right side up and the newer TX1 logo.

[Spectre]

15. Monarchs Blue V5

The next release of the Monarchs included a very slight change to the cellophane from the thick gold pull tab to a thinner version.

15 Blue V5 Front.jpg (432.56 KiB) Viewed 10836 times

Of note: Thin gold cellophane band and pull tab.

15 Blue V5 Back.jpg (432.26 KiB) Viewed 10836 times

Of Note: Jagged Seal and five leafs on the bottom left and top right branches.

15 Blue V5 Bottom.jpg (414.34 KiB) Viewed 10836 times

Of Note: The ad copy is printed right side up as the deck is placed right side up and the newer TX1 logo.

[Spectre]

16. Monarchs Red V3

Same changes made as the Blue Monarchs, thin gold band on the cellophane.

16 Red V3 Front.jpg (395.73 KiB) Viewed 9507 times

Of note: Thin gold cellophane band and pull tab.

16 Red V3 Back.jpg (404.94 KiB) Viewed 9507 times

Of Note: Jagged Seal and five leafs on the bottom left and top right branches.

16 Red V3 Bottom.jpg (375.64 KiB) Viewed 9507 times

Of Note: The ad copy is printed right side up as the deck is placed right side up and the newer TX1 logo.

[Spectre]

17. Monarchs Green V2

Same changes to the cellophane as the Red and Blue Monarchs, from thick to thin on the gold border of the cellophane.

17 Green V2 Front.jpg (416.21 KiB) Viewed 10838 times

Of note: Thin gold cellophane band and pull tab.

17 Green V2 Back.jpg (420.02 KiB) Viewed 10838 times

Of Note: Jagged Seal and five leafs on the bottom left and top right branches.

17 Green V2 Bottom.jpg (383.9 KiB) Viewed 10838 times

Of Note: The ad copy is printed right side up as the deck is placed right side up and the newer TX1 logo.

[Spectre]

18. Monarchs NYSM2

A special edition Monarchs deck for the movie Now You See Me 2. Another deck with a single print run.

18 NYSM2 Front.jpg (410.33 KiB) Viewed 10838 times

Of note: Thin gold cellophane band and pull tab and the Special Edition Now You See Me 2.

18 NYSM2 Back.jpg (395.9 KiB) Viewed 10838 times

Of Note: Jagged Seal and five leafs on the bottom left and top right branches.

18 NYSM2 Bottom.jpg (382.55 KiB) Viewed 10838 times

Of Note: The ad copy is printed right side up as the deck is placed right side up but is different than the other Monarchs decks.

18 NYSM2 Bottom Close.jpg (238.19 KiB) Viewed 10838 times

Of Note: Special ad copy.

[Spectre]

19. Monarchs Blue V6

The change with this release of the Blue, Red and Green Monarchs was to the ad copy on the bottom of the deck. The TX1 logo is still there but the font changed from a block style print to a script style.

19 Blue V6 Front.jpg (423.76 KiB) Viewed 10839 times

Of note: Thin gold cellophane band and pull tab.

19 Blue V6 Back.jpg (445.48 KiB) Viewed 10839 times

Of Note: Jagged Seal and five leafs on the bottom left and top right branches.

19 Blue V6 Bottom.jpg (374.94 KiB) Viewed 10839 times

Of Note: The ad copy is printed right side up as the deck is placed right side up, the print is in the script style, and the bar code has been removed.

[Spectre]

20. Monarchs Red V4

The font changed on the bottom of the tuck from a block style print to a script style.

20 Red V4 Front.jpg (395.73 KiB) Viewed 12480 times

Of note: Thin gold cellophane band and pull tab.

20 Red V4 Back.jpg (404.94 KiB) Viewed 12480 times

Of Note: Jagged Seal and five leafs on the bottom left and top right branches.

20 Red V4 Bottom.jpg (374.09 KiB) Viewed 12480 times

Of Note: The ad copy is printed right side up as the deck is placed right side up, the print is in the script style, and the bar code has been removed.

[Spectre]

21. Monarchs Green V3

The font changed on the bottom of the tuck from a block style print to a script style.

21 Green V3 Front.jpg (418.24 KiB) Viewed 12480 times

Of note: Thin gold cellophane band and pull tab.

21 Green V3 Back.jpg (425.43 KiB) Viewed 12480 times

Of Note: Jagged Seal and five leafs on the bottom left and top right branches.

21 Green V3 Bottom.jpg (391.96 KiB) Viewed 12480 times

Of Note: The ad copy is printed right side up as the deck is placed right side up, the print is in the script style, and the bar code has been removed.

[Spectre]

22. Monarchs Purple

A new color gets added to the Monarchs line up, Purple.

22 Purple Front.jpg (391.61 KiB) Viewed 12368 times

Of note: Thin gold cellophane band and pull tab.

22 Purple Back.jpg (406 KiB) Viewed 12368 times

Of Note: A White Jagged Seal and five leafs on the bottom left and top right branches.

22 Purple Bottom.jpg (389.92 KiB) Viewed 12368 times

Of Note: The ad copy is printed right side up as the deck is placed right side up, the print is in the script style, with no bar code.

[Adonael]

From knowing nothing about Monarchs to having a detailed understanding in minutes lol, just today I asked about the differences when I saw some white ones on reddit which all looked the same from a distance. This is some fine work, I love a detailed buyer's guide, and a big step beyond mine by including pictures too!

[Spectre]

23. Monarchs Mandarin

A yellow and red Monarchs deck in tribute to the the Chinese Lunar New Year. Limited release.

23 Mandarin Front.jpg (380.62 KiB) Viewed 12134 times

Of note: Thin gold cellophane band and pull tab.

23 Mandarin Back.jpg (381.42 KiB) Viewed 12134 times

Of Note: A Red Jagged Foil Seal and five leafs on the bottom left and top right branches.

23 Mandarin Bottom.jpg (328.81 KiB) Viewed 12134 times

Of Note: The ad copy is printed right side up as the deck is placed right side up, the print is in the script style, with no bar code.

[ChuckRambo]

T11's operations VP Lyle Borders has been posting a bit on the Monarchs series over at the T11 forum. Of interest is the Eleven Madison Park fact sheet. Here is the link to it:

https://www.theory11.com/forums/threads ... ion.54256/

Also of interest is the NYSM2 fact sheet:

https://www.theory11.com/forums/threads ... ion.51904/

[laitostarr777]

So, from my collection to compare with the list provided, I have:
Monarchs Blue V2: 5 Leaves, Circle 11, Jagged Seal, Clear Pull
Monarchs White/Gold V1: 4 Leaves, Circle 11, Rounded Seal, Clear Pull
Monarchs Red V3: 5 Leaves, TX1 Logo, Jagged Seal, Thin Gold Pull
Monarchs Green V2: 5 Leaves, TX1 Logo, Jagged Seal, Thin Gold Pull
Monarchs NYSM2: 5 Leaves, TX1 Logo, Jagged Seal, Thin Gold Pull, LIMITED
Monarchs Purple: 5 Leaves, Script Logo, Jagged Seal, Thin Gold Pull
Monarchs Mandarin: 5 Leaves, Script Logo, Jagged Seal, Thin Gold Pull (not shown in photo, because it is on it's way)

Bottom side of the tuckcases

Back design of the tuckboxes

Can't definitely tell whether the red is V2 or V3, along with green is V1 or V2, because I opened these decks

And it's gotta be hard to get the Eleven Madison Park Edision, because..... it is said that it can only be obtainable when you dine in the restaurant X.X
Oh look at these Monarchs, aren't they beautiful? It is all because Now You See Me XD

[kem-collector]

And it's gotta be hard to get the Eleven Madison Park Edision, because..... it is said that it can only be obtainable when you dine in the restaurant X.X

A deck just sold on eBay for $500. I was watching it because I was curious. It only had one bidder.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Theory-11 ... 3451824426

[PipChick]

I dunno how I'm just now seeing this Buyers' guide for Monarchs but WOW! This is so so SO great Spectre! Thanks for such great pics and for providing such a comprehensive guide for comparison between all the different variants!

[laitostarr777]

General note for those who decides to open up the decks:
The newer versions of the Monarchs doesn't have a double backer anymore. I don't know why Theory11 decides to pull that off from the decks, and it is quite a shame.
Creating a double backer from two ad cards is pointless, as it becomes one thicker card in the deck