Saxony, 1 Pfennig, from the series Coins of All Nations (N72, variation 1) for Duke brand cigarettes 1889

Editor: This is "Saxony, 1 Pfennig" from 1889, part of the series "Coins of All Nations" by W. Duke, Sons & Co. It's a print, a kind of caricature, seemingly made with colored pencils. I'm immediately struck by how… well, silly it is! What’s your take on it? Curator: Oh, delightfully silly! And observant, wouldn't you say? Look at this fellow, so puffed up, tootling his own horn – literally! And next to an actual "pfennig," as if he embodies the very essence of that coin. It's a playful poke at… perhaps national pride? Maybe even economic policy? After all, what *is* value, really? A coin? Or a blowhard with a trombone? Editor: So you're saying it could be social commentary disguised as a quirky image? Curator: Absolutely! Or maybe it’s just meant to catch your eye and sell cigarettes. These promotional prints were cunning things – tiny Trojan Horses filled with propaganda *and* pretty colours! Think about it: embedding national identity in something as everyday as a cigarette card. Shrewd! Don't you think it’s wonderfully cynical? Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way! The cigarette tie-in makes it a lot less innocent and a lot more pointed. Curator: Precisely! These little pictures open windows into the past; a glimpse into the culture's sense of humor, its aspirations, and perhaps most of all, its underlying anxieties. Art is so good for that! Editor: It's amazing how much history can be packed into something so small. I definitely see this differently now! Curator: Me too! Every time I think about it I realise it could be… trombone propaganda! There’s no telling.