MCA Meeting at the NYINC

The MCA will hold its 2026 winter meeting at the New York International Numismatic Convention (NYINC) in New York City. The meeting will take place at 10:30 AM on Saturday, January 17, in the Astor Suite I at the InterContinental New York Barclay Hotel. Douglas Mudd, Curator & Museum Director of the ANA Edward C. Rochette Money Museum, will give a talk on "Medallic Washington: Man, Myth, Legend in Medallic Art".

Washington was not shy about having his image taken – he sat for quite a few portraits, and his image was used on a myriad of objects during his lifetime ranging from mugs, teapots, broadsides, tokens (quite popular in England!) and more. For our purposes we are interested in how his image was used on numismatic items, specifically medals and tokens. The story begins during the American Revolution.

Washington's earliest appearance on a numismatic object was in 1778 in France. Formerly known as the "Voltaire medal" it was reputedly commissioned by Francois-Marie d'Arouet (1694-1778), a.k.a Voltaire, the celebrated French philosopher and writer, who was a supporter of the American Revolution and admirer of Washington's. Medals were first authorized by the United States during the Revolutionary War to reward our military leaders for their successes in battle. The first such medal, part of the "Comitia Americana" series, was awarded to George Washington for his success in driving the British out of Boston in 1776. Washington has been a favorite subject for American medals ever since - for almost 250 years! This presentation features a selection of numismatic Washingtonia from the ANA's Edward C. Rochette Money Museum’s Baker-Manley collection.

More information about the show and events can be found at the NYINC website.