Finland, 50 Pennia, 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
63.350.204.72.38
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, American tobacco companies like W. Duke Sons & Co. revolutionized by inserting collectible cards into cigarette packs, turning smokers into enthusiasts. This vibrant *Finland, 50 Pennia* card, from the 1889 "Coins of Nations" series (N, variation 2), exemplifies that era's ingenuity. Produced to promote Duke brand cigarettes, features a precise color lithograph of the Finnish coin—a subunit of the markka used in the Grand Duchy of Finland under Russian rule—capturing global curiosity about world currencies amid expanding international trade. Printed as a commercial c...
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...