Drachm of Aegina, 800 B.C., from the Ancient Coins series (N180) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.

Art Historical Context

Step into the world of 19th-century with this charming *Drachm of Aegina, 800 B.C.*, a commercial color lithograph from William S. Kimball & Company's *Ancient Coins* series (N180), produced in 1888. just 1 1/2 × 2 5/8 inches, this petite print faithfully reproduces an ancient Greek silver coin from island of Aegina, for its iconic turtle emblemizing the region's seafaring prowess and early maritime trade around 800 B.C. Aegina's drachms were among the first standardized coins in the Greek world, facilitating commerce across the Mediterranean. Crafted via chromolithography—a vibrant printing technique that brought museum-quality color to everyday ephemera—these cards were likely premium inserts in Kimball's cigarette packages, sparking public fascination with classical antiquity during America's Gilded Age. Their vivid hues and precise detailing captured the coin's incised turtle motif, blending education with advertising in an era when collecting ancient artifacts was a fashionable pastime. Today, this gem resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, a treasure trove of printed ephemera gifted in 1948. It highlights how commercial art democratized history, inviting everyday enthusiasts to own a piece of ancient Greece.

About the Artist

William S. Kimball & Company · 1850–1950

**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...