Caricatured Spaniard, 1 Peseta, 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
63.350.204.72.88
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Caricatured Spaniard 1 Peseta*, a tiny gem from W. Duke, Sons &.'s *Coins of Nations* series (N72, variation 2), produced in 1889. This commercial color lithograph, measuring just 2¾ x 1½ inches, features a stylized, exaggerated depiction of a Spaniard alongside the Spanish 1 peseta coin. Issued as inserts in Duke brand cigarette packs these cards were designed to captivate smokers and spark a collecting frenzy, blending education on global currencies with playful caricature. Chromolithography, the era's breakthrough for affordable...
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...