Tricks in which four same-value cards, such as the Jacks, Queens, Kings or Aces, gather together in the center or on top of the deck after having been seemingly distributed in the pack are among the earliest recorded effects with cards and are clear precursors to the classic assembly of four Aces, initially placed each on the bottom of four four-card piles.

The earliest discovered description of an Ace Assembly in this relatively modern form is given by J. N. Ponsin in Nouvelle Magie Blanche Dévoilée, 1853, p. 97. For Jean Hugard's English translation of this text, see Gibecière, Vol. 15 No. 1, Winter 2020, p. 162.

See also:

• Collins Ace Assembly
• Slow-Motion Ace Assembly
• Progressive Ace Assembly
• Reverse Ace Assembly
• Open Travelers