Robert Scot was the most prolific engraver of early American patriotic iconography, with symbols and images depicting rebellion, unity, victory, and liberty throughout his career in America.
The medals utilized Benjamin Franklin's motto "Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God," along with Scot's 1778 revised Virginia Seal design.
[3] Scot announced his arrival in Philadelphia with newspaper advertisements in May 1781, listing his engraving shop at the corner of Vine and Front Streets.
Scot would continue to engrave for American officers, for the Society of the Cincinnati, and for an accurate 1784 map of United States for Captain William McMurray, based on the 1783 Treaty of Paris.
As a Freemason, Robert Scot engraved the frontispiece for Ahiman Rezon, dedicated to General George Washington, for the Grand Lodge of Philadelphia.
Scot also reproduced Charles Willson Peale's 1772 portrait of Washington as an authorized drawing and line engraving, while visiting at Mount Vernon.
The engraver for the original Great Seal die was attributed as Robert Scot by Richardson Dougall and Richard Patterson in their book, The Eagle and the Shield.
[6] Robert Scot engraved 25 copperplates of scientific illustrations for Thomas Dobson's 1788 American reprint of William Nicholson's Natural Philosophy.
These engravings were the largest number of scientific illustrations for a book printed in America at that time, and were considered to be "superior in elegance to those executed in London."
The Coinage Act of 1792 mandated design requirements for United States coins, including an obverse "emblematic of liberty" and a reverse with "the figure or representation of an eagle."
[9] In 1798, Robert Scot engraved rate stamp dies for each state, for use on documentary paper in an effort to raise money for support of the undeclared Quasi-War with France.