noun
hanafuda money card; gambling card with sweets illustration
A hanafuda card used to represent money when gambling, often featuring pictures of sweets. The kanji 菓子 is ateji, a pun on 貸し (lending).
花札では、菓子札が賭け金の代わりに使われることがある。
In hanafuda, 菓子札 cards are sometimes used in place of betting money.
The original meaning 'lending card' from which 菓子札 derives as an ateji pun.
Compound of 菓子 (kashi, 'sweets') + 札 (fuda, 'card'). The 菓子 is ateji, a phonetic pun on 貸し (kashi, 'lending'), reflecting the card's use as a money substitute in gambling.