Sticking with our “March Monogram” theme, we’ve added a couple new note card designs to our collection. We always love an elegant script monogram but for many people, this may feel too formal for their style of letter writing. A card with custom printed initials is going to get much more use.

If you’re inspired to order some monogramed stationery of your own, visit our note card collection here: Sesame Note Card Collection

The simplicity of crisp, letterpressed initials always looks elegant. Monograms have been used for centuries from Roman era coins to modern era royal wedding invitations. We started looking into the history of monograms and here are some of the interesting things we learned:

• Initials/monograms symbols have been used for centuries, dating back to 350 BC. 
• Currency during Roman times featured the initials of the Greek and Roman rulers to mark their reign
• In the Middle ages, artisans used initials to sign or brand their work
• Early monograms consisted of just two initials. Around the 17th Century, it became more common to use the three letters. In the early 1600’s, Rembrandt signed his early paintings with “R” or “RH” but later added a third initial (and eventually moved on to signing his name).
• British Royals use the 2 letters and these are intertwined to form a cipher, which is a monogram design for the reigning sovereign.
• In the Victorian era, monograms were associated with the aristocracy and therefore, were perceived as a sign of prestige. 

If initials feel too minimalist, a small illustration can be added to personalize the stationery a bit more. Here are a couple we’ve printed and love this month!