George Washington Inaugural Button

The design on these buttons of an endless chain of thirteen links with the initials of the states is derived from the design first used on the Continental Currency fractional notes issued in February of 1776. During that era, the popular design was repeatedly used on currency and coinage and had been imprinted on regimental flags. The combination of Washington's cipher (algorithm for performing encryption or decryption) and the chain of states visually testifies to the importance of a strong executive for the nation's government.