In the early 1790s, Americans still lived with a confusing mix of foreign silver, state coppers, merchant tokens, and privately made substitutes. The United States Mint was only beginning to take shape, and small change remained scarce. That shortage created an opportunity for privately produced “Washington” pieces: coins and tokens designed with patriotic imagery and intended either to circulate or attract official attention. The group often discussed under the broader umbrella of 1792 Washington pieces illustrates this situation well, including both the Washington President / Legend Reverse issues and the Washington Born Virginia varieties, which combine early national symbolism with uncertain origins and multiple die combinations.
These pieces are collected alongside post-colonial Washington issues and early federal patterns because they reflect the same transitional period, when the country sought a reliable national coinage but had not yet produced one in sufficient quantity.
Why These Pieces Were Made
After the Revolutionary War, the new government needed practical, recognizable money for everyday transactions. Privately produced copper tokens could help fill gaps in commerce, particularly in port cities and active trade corridors. At the same time, some issuers hoped their products might be adopted, imitated, or at least tolerated by officials. A Washington portrait provided immediate recognition, even though George Washington himself opposed the idea of his likeness appearing on coinage because it echoed monarchical traditions.
That tension helps explain why these tokens are historically significant. They look like national coinage, but they were not official issues. They function as snapshots of what Americans and entrepreneurs thought “American money” should look like.
The “Washington President” Legend Reverse Variety
One of the most intriguing 1792 pieces pairs a familiar Washington obverse with a reverse that replaces an eagle entirely with text. These pieces were long attributed to British makers such as W. and Alexander Walker, but more recent numismatic research has reassigned several of them to Jacob Perkins of Newburyport, Massachusetts, who appears to have adapted elements of the 1791 Washington Cent designs.
The obverse is Washington appearing in military garb facing left, with “WASHINGTON” on the left side of the rim and “PRESIDENT” on the right. The date “1792” sits centered below the bust. In style and layout, it strongly echoes the Washington cents that had already tested the waters in 1791.
The reverse presents a brief textual summary of Washington’s public career. A six-pointed star sits above ten lines of text that read, in sequence:
GENERAL
OF THE
AMERICAN ARMIES
1776
RESIGNED
1783
PRESIDENT
OF THE
UNITED STATES
1789
Instead of symbolism, the reverse offers a timeline meant to validate Washington’s public virtue. Examples are known with both plain edges and lettered edges, with the lettered-edge version encountered far less often.
The “Born Virginia” Obverse and Its Reverse Options
A second and even more notable branch of the series changes the obverse legend. Washington still faces left in a similar military bust, but the rim now reads “GEO. WASHINGTON BORN VIRGINIA FEB. 11. 1732”.
This variety is undated on the face, and the wording shifts the focus from office to personal origin. From there, the series splits again based on the reverse.
One rare variety uses the Large Eagle reverse adapted from the 1791 Large Eagle cent and adds thirteen six-pointed stars above the eagle. This is a major rarity, with only three known copper examples reported.
Another variety keeps the Born Virginia obverse but returns to the text reverse with Washington’s service record: “GENERAL OF THE AMERICAN ARMIES 1776 RESIGNED 1783 PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES 1789”. This copper pairing continues the theme of commemorative biography, but in a more direct, documentary style than the eagle type.
The Unique Silver Edge Lettered Specimen
The most dramatic piece in the group is a unique silver example. It combines the Born Virginia concept with the legend reverse, and it carries an edge inscription reading “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”. Only one specimen is known to have been seen, in any condition. Within a group already characterized by low survival and uncertain mintages, this single silver specimen represents the rarest known example.
Key Takeaways for Collectors
These 1792 Washington pieces are historically important because they sit at the crossroads of necessity and symbolism. The broader group includes distinct Washington President and Washington Born Virginia issues, with multiple reverses, edge varieties, and major differences in rarity. For students of early American coinage, they illustrate how identity, politics, and commerce were expressed in coin and token designs before the federal system fully stabilized.
