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About This Work
This bronze medallion features a portrait of George Washington at its center, framed by a radiating sunburst. Above his head is the All-Seeing Eye, and below are the traditional Masonic square and compasses framing the initials 'GW'. The design is encircled by a ribbon bearing Latin and English inscriptions referencing his involvement in Freemasonry.
This object reflects the 18th and 19th-century American integration of Enlightenment political ideals with the symbolic language of Freemasonry, which preserves vestigial elements of early modern esoteric traditions and initiatic guilds. It highlights the role of the 'mystic tie'—a term often used in Masonic liturgy to describe the fraternal bond—as a foundational, quasi-sacred element of American civic identity.
Inscriptions(English, Latin)
HE WAS A BROTHER OF THE MYSTIC TIE SUO SE ROB ORE FIRMAT 17 82 5891
Translation
SUO SE ROB ORE FIRMAT: His own strength confirms him (or, He establishes himself by his own strength). The '5891' represents the Masonic calendar year (Anno Lucis), calculated by adding 4000 years to the current year.
Connected Texts
Freemasonry (General)
The medal utilizes core Masonic iconography, such as the square, compasses, and the All-Seeing Eye, which derive from the guild traditions of the early modern period.
Provenance & Source
Object
Bronze
portrait
Digital Source
Unknown · Public domain
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview on April 15, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.