1798 Washington Seasons Medal. The Home. Late Reverse Die State. Musante

Important Original Seasons Medal in Copper The Home 1798 Washington Seasons Medal. The Home. Late Reverse Die State. Musante GW-69, Baker-172A, Julian IP-52. Copper. AU Details--Tooled (PCGS). 48.2 mm. Original suspension loop lost, but a small nib remains. An invitingly sharp example of this rare and historic medal designed and struck during the Washington presidential administration. The details throughout are exceptional. To this point, it is worth nothing that the spinner shows traces of facial features, but this was a presented medal to be sure as it carries all of the typical scars that come from the intended usage including numerous small marks scattered about and numerous light to moderate scratches on both sides that explain the "tooling" qualifier from PCGS. When turned in the light, some of these come into view, but they are really not as distracting as they might sound on such a sharp survivor. They are old, and the overall patina serves to blend them into the aesthetic about as well as can be hoped for. The obverse is a fairly uniform steely brown while the reverse has some very pleasing mahogany highlights through the center. Some hard and obviously stable oxidation deposits are seen in the wreath, serving as a further indication that this was an awarded medal, worn as a mark of pride before being lost. A couple of moderate rim marks would be very good provenance identifiers with even decent photographs to work from. However, this seems to be a new specimen to the census of known medals and the 18th bronze "Spinner' known. The most recent example of the Spinner in bronze to sell at auction was the present writer's (John Pack) specimen, graded EF-40 by PCGS, in our November 2025 sale. That realized $43,200, and while it was the only example known with its original hanger, this medal offers slightly more detail. Of the known medals, at least three were collector's strikes never intended or used for Native American distribution, and three more are in the museum holdings of the American Numismatic Society, Massachusetts Historical Society and Yale University Art Gallery. About The Seasons Medals Though the Seasons medals do not bear a portrait of Washington, they are inextricably tied to him, his administration and his memory. The direct inspiration for the designs of these medals was from George Washington's own pen. On August 29, 1796, George Washington wrote a letter to the Cherokee Nation, the complete text of which is easily found on the website of the National Archives. The letter was meant to address relations with the Cherokee by way of instruction as to how they might improve their standing as peaceful neighbors of the white settlers. It is a fascinating read for its insights into Washington's thoughtful manner, but also into the decidedly inconsiderate and absolute approach the administration took toward Native peoples. Washington was specific and presented his own personal desires to retire to his plantation as guidance for how the Cherokee might best live in peace and prosperity. He described the advantages of expanding livestock and crops and that "your wives and daughters can soon learn to spin and to weave," relating directly to the presently offered medal. He summarized his detailed proposals as follows: What I have recommended to you I am myself going to do. After a few moons are passed, I shall leave the great town, and retire to my farm. There I shall attend to the means of increasing my cattle, sheep, and other useful animals, to the growing of corn, wheat & other grain, and to the employing of women in spinning and weaving: all which I have recommended to you, that you may be as comfortable & happy as plenty of food, cloathing [sic] & other good things can make you. Herein lie the direct inspirations for the Seasons medals, reinforced as such by the following passage from the same letter: …before I retire, I shall speak to my beloved man, the Secretary of War, to get prepared some medals, to be given to such Cherokees as by following my advice, shall best deserve them. For this purpose, Mr. Dinsmoore [Washington's Agent to the Cherokee Nation] is from time to time to visit every town in your Nation. He will give instructions to those who desire to learn what I have recommended. He will see what improvements are made; who are most industrious in raising cattle, in growing corn, wheat, cotton & flax, & in spinning and weaving: and on those who excel the rewards are to be bestowed. Less than two months later, on October 10, 1796, the Secretary of War wrote to Rufus King, the Washington administration's Minister to Great Britain, to procure the desired medals using sources in England. King called upon John Trumbull, the famous Revolutionary-era artist to design the medals, presumably based on a copy of Washington's letter to the Cherokee or notes taken therefrom, as Trumbull's sketches undeniably directly represent Washington's words. Unfortunately, by the time John Adams had been inaugurated president, on March 4, 1797, the Seasons medals were still not completed, much to the discomfort of then Secretary of War James McHenry. McHenry wrote on December 4, 1797, to Rufus King, "My poor Indians are very clamorous for their medals; more so indeed than for their plows." The medals were completed in 1798, and arrived from England in July of that year. There were reportedly 500 struck in silver and 200 struck in copper. According to Prucha, the first shipment included 326 silver medals. It is unclear which types were represented, but it was certainly an uneven distribution as this is not divisible by three. It is unknown when the copper impressions arrived. As the Seasons medals arrived so late, no new medals were specifically produced for the Adams administration, which must have distributed at least some of the Seasons medals. Some or all of those that remained on hand are known to have been distributed under the Thomas Jefferson administration by the hands of Lewis and Clark. As such, the Seasons medals are tied not just to Washington, but to the first three presidential administrations as well as the journey of America's two most famous early explorers. Both silver and copper examples were issued with suspension loops that proved fragile, while at least a few of each were struck for medal cabinets, and never looped. The ANS has a set of the latter in silver, as does the British Museum. The Virgil Brand Estate produced a fabulous cased six-piece set (once in the Stickney cabinet). The copper specimens in the Baker Collection seem to have been such a presentation set as well. As far as we are aware, it is undocumented who first called these "Seasons Medals," but whoever it was didn't consider that these designs really have nothing to do with seasons, other than perhaps the spring planter. Augustus B. Sage did not use the term in his 1859 Henry Bogert sale, but by 1862 the term had been coined, as W. Elliot Woodward used it, in quotes, in his November sale of the Finotti Collection. Click here for certification details from PCGS. Image with the PCGS TrueView logo is obtained from and is subject to a license agreement with Collectors Universe, Inc. and its divisions PCGS and PSA.

Estimate:£0.74

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