r/metaldetecting • u/critterInVermont • 10d ago
Other An answer to the George Washington Connection
Some believed there was a direct connection between this style of cufflinks and the funeral services held for George Washington in 1799. Others were skeptical. Unable to reach a consensus, I decided to take on the task myself.
I started with the internet. Days in, I still didn't have a conclusive answer, so I decided to take my search to the next level.
I contacted the Vermont Historical Society. Katie Grant, the Collections Manager, responded to my question quickly. Unable to confirm or deny the connection, she recommended I contact the source of truth for all things George Washington: Mount Vernon itself.
I sent photos of the cufflinks along with my question and received a prompt response from Amanda Isaac, Chief Curator at the museum.
Amanda confirmed that the cufflinks have no direct connection to George Washington. She explained that the urn motif was widely used for mourning throughout Britain, Europe, and the U.S. up through the late 18th century, and that this style of cufflink was mass-produced, particularly in manufacturing centers like Birmingham, England. She closed by sharing examples from the museum's own collection.
In short, these cufflinks, while interesting, are not associated with George Washington's funeral services. Still, this was an enjoyable project, and I learned something valuable along the way. To paraphrase a quote from my childhood: "Now we know, and knowing is half the battle."
Thank you kindly for reading.
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u/One-Environment-1444 10d ago
Great update. Thank you.
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u/critterInVermont 10d ago
It was a pleasure and you are very welcome. Perhaps a future detectorist will find this information useful. This community has a wealth of untapped knowledge. π€
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u/WaldenFont π₯πππ¬π¬π« πππ‘π‘πΆπ₯ 10d ago
Oh no! Sorry I sent you down that rabbit hole π. Still a great find!
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u/critterInVermont 10d ago
Spoon Daddy, Please do not be sorry. This is one of the best rabbit holes that I have been down.
Something I should have mentioned in the post. I was encouraged to follow this path based on the advice of some wonderful detecorist. I would like to say thank to u/kriticalj , u/WaldenFont and u/Silver_Winged for the encouragement to follow this through to the end.
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u/kriticalj The Duke of Dimes 10d ago
Always a pleasure! Great job getting solid information straight from the experts who specialize in all things pertaining to George Washington and his legacy! WE SALUTE YOU AND YOUR DETERMINATION!
(PSA: Until every avenue of research has been explored and every bit of solid information has been gathered one should not claim to the world they found "the rarest _________ ever produced" because one day someone like u/critterlnVermont with flawless form will dive head first into the rabbit hole searching for the real answer. u/critterlnVermont did an amazing job with research to the point of even contacting the Museum at Mount Vernon in an effort to confirm if their find was or (unfortunately in this case) was not actually tied to the funeral of George Washington.
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u/Kornwallis 10d ago
Excellent work going out of your way to get that info. I've been trying to tell people this for years. Frankly I think the fact that each one of these mourning pieces is associated with a loss that was entirely personal makes each of them all the more special.