Stamp Duty and playing cards

A few years ago I was researching a new talk that involves a reference to playing cards and was astonished the learn the following. Why didn't anyone ever tell me this before?

When you look at the central image of a spade on the Ace of Spades it is often more ornate than that on the other aces and the reason is tax related!

Apparently this all began in the 17th century under the reign of King James. He passed a law requiring the Ace of Spades to bear an insignia of the printing house as proof of payment of a tax on the local manufacture of cards. 

This ornamental embossing was also intended to prevent forgery of the revenue stamp. To forge an ace of spades was punishable by hanging, hence it is sometimes still known as the ‘hanging card’. 

Stamp duty was extended to playing cards in 1711 by Queen Anne and lasted until 1960. All decks of playing cards printed and sold in the United Kingdom were liable to tax under the Stamp Act 1765, and the Ace of Spades carried an indication of the name of the printer and the fact that the tax had been paid.

I am astonished that I have only found this out now - all these years after I started to work in tax having already established my magical hobby!