In the game of Euchre, the highest trump card is the Jack of the trump suit, called the right bower (from the German Bauer); the second-highest trump, the left bower, is the Jack of the suit of the same color as trumps.
Around 1860, American Euchre players may have devised a higher trump, the "Best Bower", out of a blank card.
Samuel Hart is credited with printing the first illustrated "Best Bower" card in 1863 with his "Imperial Bower".
Best Bower-type jokers continued to be produced well into the 20th-century. Cards labelled "Joker" began appearing around the late 1860s with some depicting clowns and jesters. It is believed that the term "Joker" comes from Juker or Juckerspiel, the original German spelling of Euchre.
One British manufacturer, Charles Goodall, was manufacturing packs with Jokers for the American market in 1871.
The first joker for the domestic British market was sold in 1874.
Italians call jokers "Jolly" as many early cards were labelled "Jolly Joker".