Caricatured Cuban, 2 Reals, from the series Coins of All Nations (N72, variation 1) for Duke brand cigarettes 1889

This small chromolithograph was printed by W. Duke, Sons & Co. around 1888 as an advertising insert for their brand of cigarettes. It depicts a caricatured Cuban woman alongside a Spanish coin used in Cuba. This image creates meaning through visual codes that reflect the historical association of the island with both Spain and enslaved Africans. The coin reminds us that Cuba was under Spanish colonial rule until 1898. The caricature evokes the visual language used to demean Black populations in the United States during the same period. This conflation of race, nationality, and money speaks to the United States' increasing economic interest in Cuba, as it became a prime exporter of sugar and tobacco. The image exoticizes and dehumanizes Cuban people to justify American economic exploitation. Understanding this image requires historical research into the racial politics of US advertising at the turn of the century. We can examine periodicals, census data, and trade reports to learn more.