Didrachm Metapontum, 710 B.C., 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
63.350.216.180.65
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming chromolithograph, titled *Didrachm Metapontum, 710 B.C.*, is a tiny gem from the "Ancient Coins series (N180)" produced by William S. Kimball Company in 1888 Measuring just 1 1/2 × 2 5/8 inches, this commercial color lithograph faithfully reproduces an ancient silver didrachm—a two-drachma coin—from the Greek colony of Metapontum in Italy. Part of a popular 19th-century trend in collectible trade cards, it captures the intricate details of classical numismatics, evoking the economic and artistic prowess of Magna Graecia around 710 B.C. Chromolithography, at its vibrant peak in t...
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...