Ecuador, 2 Reals, 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
63.350.204.72.32
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Ecuador, 2 Reals*, a tiny gem from the "Coins of All Nations" (N72, variation2), produced in 1889 by W. Duke, Sons & Co This commercial color lithograph, measuring just 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 inches, captures an Ecuadorian 2 Re coin, likely featuring a portrait of a man amid intricate numismatic details. Part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's R. Burdick Collection it exemplifies ephemera—everyday printed matter that offers a window into history. Duke Sons & Co., a pioneering American tobacco firm, inserted these collectible cards into cig...
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...