Bronze of Antonius, 138 A.D., from the Ancient Coins series (N180) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 1 1/2 × 2 5/8 in. (3.8 × 6.7 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ephemera
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, Gift of Jefferson R. Burdick
Accession Number
63.350.216.180.9
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming commercial color lithograph, titled *Bronze of Antonius, 138 A.D.*, is a tiny gem from William S. Kimball & Company's "Ancient Coins series (N)," produced in 1888. just 1 1/2 × 2 5/8 inches, it was likely a collectible insert for Kimball's cigarette packs, part of a popular 19th-century trend where tobacco companies distributed educational trading cards to captivate smokers and spark numismatic interest. These ephemera cards brought the allure of ancient history into everyday life, reflecting America's growing fascination with classical antiquity amid the Gilded Age's collecting ...
About the Artist
William S. Kimball & Company
**William S. Kimball & Company**, a pioneering American tobacco manufacturer, was established in 1846 in Rochester, New York, by William S. Kimball and James C. Hart. The firm quickly grew into one of the city's largest employers, particularly of women, producing popular brands like Peerless chewing tobacco, Rigatta and Fireside smoking tobacco, and Vanity Fair cigarettes. Under Kimball's leadersh...