Commemorating the 275th Anniversary of the birth of George Washington, in 2007 the American Heritage Library and Museum staged a series of special events and exhibits. Included was an exhibit of medals struck by and for the Society of the Cincinnati, of which Washington served as first President General from 1783-1799. The exhibit featured medals on loan from the collection of Richard Breithaupt, Jr., a President Emeritus of the Sons of the Revolution.

Included in this monograph are images of the medals from the exhibit along with text based upon a 1933 study by Major Edgar Erskine Hume, U. S. Army, then Assistant Secretary General of the Society of the Cincinnati. His original work has been updated to include medals subsequently produced through 2007, and varieties of medals unknown at the time of his work. The numbering system developed by Hume is used here, with medals produced after his work assigned numbers where Hume left off. In some instances, medal varieties not previously catalogued by Hume are included using the original Hume number modified with a alpha delimiter.

In a sketch entitled "George Washington's Eagle of the Society of the Cincinnati" in The Numismatist for December, 1933 (Vol. XLVI, pp. 749-759), Hume gave a brief account of the origin and objects of the Society of the Cincinnati, and particularly the circumstances attending the adoption of the Eagle as its badge of membership.

Hume also authored "The Society of the Cincinnati in Philately", published in The American Philatelist, Vol. XLVII, No. 4, January, 1934, pp. 203-7, which included a description of postage stamps which had borne portraits of members of the Society of the Cincinnati.

By 1933 there had also been seventeen medals struck for or by the Society, chiefly commemorative. What follows is a description of them by Hume, in chronological sequence through 1933, illustrated with images and including additional medals produced through 2007. For purposes of continuity in this presentation, upon additional study and research by Breithaupt to update Hume's work, Hume numbers starting at #19 have been assigned to medals issued since 1933. Numbers followed by a letter represent examples not included in Hume.

Where appropriate, additional identifying data is provided, including the specific medal's Baker Number, referring to the 1885 work of W. S. Baker who developed a systematic arrangement of pieces so that the medallic history of George Washington could be viewed and comprehended. (See: Medallic Portraits of Washington. 2nd Edition. Russell Rulau and George Fuld.)

Additional Reading

Baker, William S. Medallic Portraits of Washington. Philadelphia, 1885.

Hansen, Harvey L. George Washington Bicentennial Celebration 1732-1932. The Numismatist. January, 1934.

Hume, Edgar Erskine. George Washington's Eagle of the Society of the Cincinnati. The Numismatist. December, 1933. (Vol. XLVI). pp. 749-759.

Hume, Edgar Erskine. The Medals of the Society of the Cincinnati. The Numismatist, March and April, 1934, Vol. XLVII, pages 149-158 and 229-239. Note: This two-part series was reprinted as a booklet by the Society, n.d. (c 1934).

Julian, Robert W. The Medals of the United States Mint (1792-1892). El Cajon, CA, 1977.

Rulau, Russell and Fuld, George. Medallic Portraits of Washington 2nd Edition. Krause Publications. Iola, WI, 1999.

The Institution of the Society, adopted by the officers of the Continental Army at the Cantonment on the Hudson River on May 10, 1783, provided for a medal (No. 1) to be worn by the members. It is thus described:

Drawing of the proposed Cincinnati Medal, made by Major Pierre Charles L'Enfant in 1783. It is shown on the Society's diploma. The original drawing measures 4 15/16 inches in diameter.

"The Society shall have an Order, by which its members shall be known and distinguished, which shall be a medal of gold, of a proper size to receive the emblems, and suspended by a deep blue ribbon two inches wide, edged with white, descriptive of the union of France and America, viz.:

The principal figure, Cincinnatus: Three Senators presenting him with a sword and other military ensigns on a field in the background, his wife standing at the door of their cottage, near it a plough and instruments of husbandry. Round the whole Omnia Reliquit Servare Rempublicam. On the reverse, sun rising, a city with open gates, and vessels entering the port. Fame crowning Cincinnatus with a wreath, inscribed Virtutis Præmium. Below, hands joined, supporting a heart, with the motto, Esto Perpetua. Round the whole, Societas Cincinnatorum Instituta A. D. 1783.

Drawing of the proposed society medal.
Hume #1.