Bells (suit)

Bells
Native name	German: Schellen
Decks	German-suited playing cards Swiss-suited playing cards

Bells () (German: Schellen) is one of the four playing card suits in a deck of Swiss-suited and German-suited playing cards. Unlike the other German suits, this suit was not adapted by French card makers. In its place, there was initially a suit of red crescents until the suit of Diamonds was added to the French pack (known as tiles in France).^[1] The suit is usually known in German as Schellen, but is sometimes abbreviated to Schell. Cards are referred to as in a French deck e.g. the "9 of Bells", but in German as Schellen 9, or the "Unter of Bells" (Schellunter or Schell-Unter).

Bells are the lowest suit in Skat, Schafkopf and Doppelkopf, but the second highest in Préférence.

The suit of bells specifically depict hawk-bells which are used in falconry.^[2] As such, they are reminiscent of the falcon suit used in earlier German hunting decks such as the Ambraser Hofjagdspiel and Stuttgart pack.