Shekel of Augustus, 27 B.C.-14 A.D., from the Ancient Coins series (N180) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Shekel of Augustus, 27 B.C.-14 A.D.*, a charming commercial color lithograph from the Ancient Coins series (N180), produced by William S. Kimball & Company 1888. This print (just 1 1/2 × 2 5/8 inches) captures the profile of Emperor Augustus, Rome's first emperor, on an ancient shekel—a coin that symbolized imperial power and economic might during his reign from 27 B.C. to 14 A.D. Kimball, a Rochester-based tobacco firm, issued these as collectible inserts or trade cards with their cigarettes, blending classical antiquity with Gilded Age marketing flair. Chromolithography, the medium here, was a breakthrough technique allowing vivid, multi-color reproductions at scale, making high art accessible to everyday collectors. These ephemera prints fueled a craze for numismatic souvenirs, educating the public on ancient history while promoting consumer goods—a clever fusion of education and commerce. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department as part of The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this piece highlights how everyday objects preserved cultural memory. It invites us to ponder Augustus's enduring legacy through a tobacco card's lens, a delightful snapshot of history's unexpected intersections.

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...