Masonic Knight Templar Sword- an Ellington Family Heirloom. Duke Ellington inherited this Masonic ceremonial sword from his paternal grandfather, James Ellington. Intricately engraved by George W. Casilear, the first chief engraver for the U.S. Dept. of Treasury's Bureau of Engraving and Printing, this ceremonial Freemason's sword bears the insignia of the Masons, the Knights Templar motto "In hoc sign vinces," and other common Masonic symbols. Duke Ellington himself was inducted as a member of the Prince Hall Masons, the black chapter of the secret society, in Washington D.C., in 1932. In fact, in 2014, the City of London Festival held a tribute to Ellington in an uncovered Masonic Hall in honor of both his great work and his association with freemasonry.