Republic of France, 20 Francs, from the series Coins of All Nations (N72, variation 2) for Duke brand cigarettes 1889

This small chromolithograph was created around 1888 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as part of their "Coins of All Nations" series. A cartoonish French soldier is rendered in vibrant blues and reds, a caricature standing stiffly to attention, sword in hand and coin in front of him. The artist employs a playful distortion of scale, enlarging the head relative to the body, which gives the figure a whimsical, almost comical appearance. This technique, combined with the bright, saturated colors, draws attention to the absurdity of nationalistic pride. The juxtaposition of the soldier with the twenty-franc coin bearing the words "Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité" creates an ironic tension. Is this a critique of the militarization of national values or a celebration of French identity? The print destabilizes easy answers, inviting us to question the relationship between power, representation, and cultural values. The artist uses this tension not only to highlight cultural symbols but to question our own understanding of value and meaning.