American Masonic Mark Jewel with Profile Portrait of George Washington
Silver - Attributed to Jacob Thurston (1771–1820), Schenectady, New York, 1798 - 2 x 2¾ inches
 
An American silver Masonic Mark Jewel attributed to Jacob Thurston of Schenectady, New York, dated 1798. The piece serves as a Mark Jewel, a specialized token of the Mark Master Mason degree. The obverse is engraved for Joseph Carley (1756–1842), a member of Saint George’s Lodge, F. & A.M., while the reverse bears a finely engraved profile bust of George Washington accompanied by the motto “Virtue shall cement US,” a pointed expression of civic and fraternal unity in the early republic.
 
Washington’s association with Freemasonry was both early and enduring. Initiated in 1752 at the Fredericksburg Lodge in Virginia, he remained publicly identified with the fraternity throughout his life and closely linked to its ideals of moral virtue, civic responsibility, and fraternal brotherhood. His participation in Masonic ceremonies, most notably the laying of the cornerstone of the United States Capitol in 1793, further reinforced the symbolic bond between the fraternity and the emerging republic.
 
Joseph Carley served in the 2nd New York Regiment of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, placing the original owner in direct association with Washington’s wartime command and lending added historical resonance to the jewel. Eighteenth-century American silver Masonic jewels are themselves uncommon, and after considerable research no comparable example incorporating Washington’s portrait has been identified. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only known example.
 
Condition: Very fine, with typical light wear consistent with age and use.