Caricatured Irishman, 10 Pence, 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
63.350.204.72.52
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, American tobacco companies like W. Duke Sons & Co. revolutionized by inserting collectible trading cards into cigarette, turning everyday smokes into a gateway for education and amusement. This petite *Caricatured Irishman,10 Pence* (1889), from the *Coins of All Nations* (N72, variation2), exemplifies that clever strategy. Measuring just 2¾ x 1½ inches, this commercial color lithograph captures a Irish figure on a 10-pence coin, blending numismatic curiosity with playful caricature to entice collectors young and old. Chromolithography, the medium here, allowed for v...
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...