Caricatured Haitian, 50 Centimes, from the series Coins of All Nations (N72, variation 2) for Duke brand cigarettes
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 in. (7 x 3.8 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
63.350.204.72.45
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, American tobacco companies like W. Duke Sons & Co. revolutionized by inserting colorful trading cards into cigarette packs, sparking a collecting craze among consumers. This vibrant *Caricatured Haitian,50 Centimes* (1889) is a gem from their "Coins of All Nations series (N72, 2), depicting a personified Haitian coin as a caricatured figure. Measuring just 2¾ x 1½ inches, these pocket-sized prints were designed for easy trading and hoarding, blending education with entertainment to promote Duke's brand. Printed as a commercial color lithograph—a cutting-edge techniqu...
About the Artist
W. Duke, Sons & Co. · 1870–1920
**W. Duke, Sons & Co.: Pioneers of Chromolithographic Trade Card Art** W. Duke, Sons & Co., an American tobacco manufacturer, emerged from the entrepreneurial vision of Washington Duke (1820–1905) and his sons in Durham, North Carolina. After the Civil War, Washington abandoned farming in 1874 to join his eldest son, Brodie L. Duke, in the burgeoning tobacco trade, establishing a factory that for...