Coins were the first items to carry monograms, dating back to at least 350 B.C. The earliest known monograms were names of the Greek cities that had issued coins, usually using the first two letters in the name of the city as the monogram. As early as A.D. 307 , a gold coin, called a solidus, was created for the Christian Empire under the rule of Constantine the Great. These coins included a Christogram on one side, which is a Christian monogram made of Greek letters. According to "The Development of the Byzantine Solidus," published by Lawrence University, the monogram used the initials of Christ's name in Greek, which are "I X P." These letters also appeared on coins in arrangements of many different variations.
Royal families have used monograms historically to identify and personalize stationery envelopes and paper, as well as personal clothing items such as belt buckles and buttons. The monograms consisted of initials or letters of the monarch's official title or name, interwoven into a design.
Painters, printmakers and sculptors have historically used monograms as a way to sign their works of art. Gold and silversmiths, lithographers and engravers also used monograms to sign their works. Several dictionaries and catalogs exist to help identify and value decorative and fine art, based on identifying the artist's monogram.
Monograms became popular in the Victorian era, with personal monograms on bookplates, tableware, handkerchiefs and jewelry. More recently, in the 1980s and 1990s, monograms became popular on clothing such as sweaters, button-down shirts and cufflinks.
The most common monogram today includes three letters, representing an individual's first, middle and last initials, although some monograms consist of solely one letter, representing either an individual's first or last name. Monograms have become more popular in recent years. French handbag maker Louis Vuitton, with its trademark LV logo, offers customers a personalizing service, which adds a customer's personal monogram to a Luis Vuitton handbag.
In recent years, monograms have also become a frequent theme for wedding celebrations. Couples create a new monogram comprised of the first initial of the wife on the left, the married last name initial in the middle of the monogram, and that the husband's first initial on the right, as dictated by monogram etiquette.
Monograms have become readily available with the advent of the Internet, and online programs offer the ability to create custom monograms. Some websites require letters to be entered, and a program creates a monogram to be downloaded and used with a home embroidery machine. Others allow a monogram to be created and then provided to stationers and other vendors for reproduction on invitations, wedding favor labels and other items.