Does anyone here collect Masonic, Freemasons, I O O F ?

coinsarefun

I have been dabbling in it and found myself attracted to certain ones. Either very historical such as Washington, Paul Revere.
Revolutionary ones. And the more Known ones. Here is my newest pickup with the case,
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I would love to see anyone else if they collect.
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100th Anniversary of The Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of the State of New York
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Pickwickjr

Here are a few of my friends Masonic Half dollars. He has an impressive collection of these 1864 half dollars. I saw the post and contacted him He will be joining the boards soon. Enjoy
Thanks Mario

oih82w8

I have seen an outpost for a local International Order of Odd Fellows, but am not a member. Pretty neat tokens.

Gluggo

I have a few IOOF medals. This was the latest one.

WillieBoyd2

I have a few Masonic pennies mostly from defunct California lodges.

This Berkeley, California Royal Arch Masons chapter produced this "Masonic Penny" as almost all Royal Arch Masonic chapters do.

It has the lodge charter date of April 18, 1906 which is a historic date in neighboring San Francisco.

Masonic Penny Berkeley California RAM Chapter 92
Bronze, 30 mm, 9.15 gm

Obverse:
University of California Greek Theatre
BERKELEY CHAPTER No. 92 R.A.M. CALIFORNIA
Reverse:
CHARTERED APRIL 18, 1906 / ONE PENNY
HTWSSTKS emblem ("Hiram, Tyrian, Widow's Son, Sent To King Solomon")

This lodge closed in 1968.

Gluggo

Here are a few more.

coinsarefun

Nice stuff everyone. This group below just got sent of to PCGS and I’m pretty sure all will be graded with trueviews.
The first one is from London.
And hope to get a few more in the next several days and will post them.
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Zoins

I have some Masonic pennies.

Here are my favorite IOOF pieces I’ve seen. I wish I picked them up at the time.

ricko

There was a large I.O.O.F. lodge here in town when I was a kid....by the time I had returned, it was defunct and the building turned into apartments and business establishments. No idea what happened, maybe just aging memberships and no young blood. Cheers, RickO

Relaxn

I have a Lincoln from the 70's that has the freemason symbol counterstamped into it. Pretty vool

EXOJUNKIE

One of many.

DNADave

This is a little OT but hopefully of interest. I have numerous Masonic documents from the late 1800s in West Virginia. I like the seals which I also have a few of. One of these has “West” written in. I guess they just kept their seal after WV statehood in 1863.

DNADave

Yup. Those are....Mason... jars.

WildIdea

This is one of my favorite pieces of the year so far, c,1795 French Masonic Medal.

I’m mostly drawn the the full length skeleton figures. I’m not a mason but still find the symbolism interesting. Cryptic figures between pillars and alter are pretty fascinating. The reverse is awash in symbolic imagery that has an almost occult feel, as if only the holder utter aloud three special words to cast some magic spell. I know, I read too much sci fi. I’ve been having fun piecing together all the meaning of the images on this one. As a rule, things don’t get on a medal that don’t belong. At first I was searching what the swan image meant but it is a pelican and the young are feeding from its blood as a Christ metaphor among other things. Neat stuff.

DCW

@Pickwickjr said:

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That is a super nice example of the New Masonic Temple in Boston. I have a very rare muling of the reverse die and Joseph H. Merriam's Washington obverse die. Washington was of course, a freemason.
Struck in silver:

habaraca

Rexford

A very similar piece to yours @WildIdea

1795 Freemasonry Medal, PCGS AU58, for the Masonic Lodge of Perfect Equality in Rouen, France.
Obverse: Two skeletons, the one at right crowned and with a scepter in hand, the one at left holding a level and a shepherd's staff, each standing at one side of a central altar topped with an open book; above, an illuminated delta inscribed with the Hebrew name of God; on either side, columns engraved with the letters "B" and "J", for Boaz and Jachin, the pillars on the porch of Solomon's Temple.
Reverse: The Square and Compasses logo with G (usually for Geometry) in blazing central pentagram, acacia branches intertwining throughout, star below / LOGE DE LA PARFAITE ÉGALITÉ O∴ DE ROUEN.

Zoins

@DCW said:

@Pickwickjr said:

That is a super nice example of the New Masonic Temple in Boston. I have a very rare muling of the reverse die and Joseph H. Merriam's Washington obverse die. Washington was of course, a freemason.
Struck in silver:

Great work by Weeden and Merriam.

Here's some info on this in E-Sylum:

• https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v14n44a07.html

David Schenkman writes:

Regarding W. N. Weeden, in my catalog titled “Joseph H. Merriam Die Sinker,” which was published in the April 1980 issue of The Numismatist, I mention that Weeden “was Merriam’s partner for a few years.” His signature appears on a medalet struck for the dedication of the New Masonic Temple in Boston.

From Dick Johnson:

WEEDEN, William Nye (1841-1891) engraver, Boston. Born New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1841. Onetime partner with Joseph Merriam (q.v.) in Merriam & Company following the Civil War. Merriam sold this firm (circa 1875) to Clarence J. Brigham (q.v.) who operated for a short time as Brigham & Co. and then moved it to Attleboro. Weeden specialized in Masonic medals but did little in latter years of this business or afterwards. Died New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1891.

pocketpiececommems

Gluggo

Here is one I bought off of the BST from one of our good members. Currently is resides in a 2" x 2" snap holder.
Its a 1865 from Lodge # 146 IOOF Owens Lodge

coinsarefun

It’s nice to see this thread continuing and there are so many great examples.
Sorry I didn’t keep up with this thread as I’ve been under the weather.
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This medal is listed in the So-Called dollar book, under Fraternal . It lists a copper, or bronze example
but doesn’t mention this one that is aluminum.
Although not a Freemason or Masonic I still think this one is worthy
To be here.
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Below is a short description taken from the website
http://www.redmen.org/redmen/info/

The fraternity traces its origins back to 1765 and is descended from the Sons of Liberty. These patriots concealed their identities and worked "underground" to help establish freedom and liberty in the early Colonies. They patterned themselves after the great Iroquois Confederacy and its democratic governing body. Their system, with elected representatives to govern tribal councils, had been in existence for several centuries.
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After the War of 1812 the name was changed to the Society of Red Men and in 1834 to the Improved Order of Red Men. They kept the customs and terminology of Native Americans as a basic part of the fraternity. Some of the words and terms may sound strange, but they soon become a familiar part of the language for every member. The Improved Order of Red Men (IORM) is similar in many ways to other major fraternal organizations in the United States.
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History of the Red Men
The Improved Order of Red Men traces its origin to certain secret patriotic societies founded before the American Revolution. They were established to promote Liberty and to defy the tyranny of the English Crown. Among the early groups were: The Sons of Liberty, the Sons of St. Tammany, and later the Society of Red Men.

On December 16, 1773 a group of men, all members of the Sons of Liberty, met in Boston to protest the tax on tea imposed by England. When their protest went unheeded, they disguised themselves as Mohawk Indians, proceeded to Boston harbor, and dumped overboard 342 chests of English tea.
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coinsarefun

And this one I bought simply because its Cleveland.....My home town. Don't know much about it but when I have time I'll research it.
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tokenpro

@coinsarefun said:
And this one I bought simply because its Cleveland.....My home town. Don't know much about it but when I have time I'll research it.
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A nice fairly self-explanatory early Odd Fellows medal utilizing parts of their fraternal symbolism, i.e. the FLT in rings, the all-seeing eye, the clasped hands. It was pretty common in the post-Civil War "grand fraternal" period for visits and combined meetings from one chapter or lodge to another, often combined with a commemorative medal of the occasion. Cross border visits were not as common but not rare either -- usually it involved border town chapters such as Buffalo, Detroit, etc. or state councils with corresponding provincial councils such as Ontario and Michigan. This piece is unusual in that Ohio and Ontario do not closely border each other with a big, shallow lake in between - I haven't seen it before.

coinsarefun

Hi @tokenpro thanks so much for the information. I’m so glad a collector like you has joined.
I sure hope to see and hear more from you.
What do you collect?

coinbuf

This belonged to my father in law, I know nothing about this piece and I doubt it has any value but it is Masonic.

DiggerJim

Sorry Guys! Don’t laugh this is all I have. Found it while coin roll hunting.

DiggerJim

Aspie_Rocco

There are some really interesting and great looking coins/ tokens here, thanks for sharing everyone

mapleman

Previously posted. Grand Lodge of Colorado Commemorative by Daniel Carr

coinsarefun

** William W. Long. (1854-57). Miller Pa 327. Copper. Plain edge. . 27.8 mm. Struck coin turn.**
This merchant comes with two different obverse and reverse die. This is the obverse pictured in Rulau while the other die has a period after Long and the right compass point points to the S in St. This is the unlisted second reverse without a period after Hotel and Bowling and no space between Bagatelle & Shuffle. The Copper Long tokens are rarely seen in Uncirculated condition.
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Absolutely lousy pic because the slab is sooooo scratched up.
But one of my favorites. The figures arranged on the reverse to spell brilliant.........yes, had to look that up
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.I also found an advertisement on the internet
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Nysoto

I have a few of early Washington State IOOF and Masonic medals, mostly made by the Mayer Brothers in Seattle.

mapleman

Any one else interested in knowing who the Masons and odd fellows are in the forum?

Pizza

To be one, ask one.

Broadstruck

1869 Independent Order of Odd Fellows - Philadelphia Fiftieth Anniversary Grand National Celebration, 51mm Diameter, Silvered White Metal



1895 Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Philadelphia, Copper, 25mm Diameter


I usually shy away from anything that's been holed for suspension, let alone with a ribbon and a pin bar.

This 38mm diameter white metal 1895 medal was so pristine I had a change of heart.

coinsarefun

A few that I posted above graded and I received the trueviews.
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1898 NY Masonic Lodge Medal 100th Anniversary-Bronze MS65BN.
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1871 I.O.O.F White Metal, Cleveland International Reunion OH Masonic MS64

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SC$1 So-Called-33 White Metal Improved Order of Red Men SP62
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Gluggo

1923 Good fellows NYC a bit different

WillieBoyd2

Satirical Masonic Penny:

Xangti Chapter Satirical Masonic Penny Steel

Steel, 34 mm, 13.50 gm

Obverse:
Cartoon demon with big ears and fangs
XANGTI CHAPTER / No. 666 / COWANS, U.S.A.

Reverse:
PROCUL O PROCUL ESTE PROFANI / INSTITUTED APR 27TH 1741 / ONE PENNY
Coffin with legend TUAPHOLL

ZoidMeister

Zombie thread resurrection of the month. Just ran across this thread, and images of one of my newest acquisitions (suitably themed of course).
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coindeuce

I own several silver Masonic Lodge Pennies that are provenanced to the Virgil Brand Collection.

Boosibri

@coindeuce said:
I own several silver Masonic Lodge Pennies that are provenanced to the Virgil Brand Collection.

Is there a Brand catalog showing his collection for provenance purposes?

tokenpro

Brand had bought the Masonic overruns from at least one of the Chicago die sinkers so he had thousands of duplicates. When Bowers & Merena sold their part of his collection I recall them lotting large groups of the overruns (IIRC) which still pop up in groups to this day (silvers included).

Recently the noted W.W. Gator collection of mark pennies was deaccessioned from the Masonic museum to which it had
been donated and was sold intact to one of the authors of the latest catalog on mark pennies. The collection had originally been offered intact to the ANA as a no strings donation -- the ANA curator at the time passed.

coindeuce

@Boosibri said:

@coindeuce said:
I own several silver Masonic Lodge Pennies that are provenanced to the Virgil Brand Collection.

Is there a Brand catalog showing his collection for provenance purposes?

There is a catalog from which the Masonic Lodge Pennies that I own is the source, but these were listed in a bulk lot. They are still in the auction house lot flips.

ZoidMeister

ZoidMeister

ZoidMeister

BustDMs

IOOF and Bust half, oooh!

DrDarryl

https://alohashriners.org/our-history/

I'm not a member, but have this silver dollar size token in my Hawaiian collection. The Fez with the "Aloha" on it caught my attention.

MaineJim

I have a few things -- nothing as nice as some of the things shown here but I picked up these things someone tossed away at our town dump and thought they should be rescued.

Jim

coinsarefun

@MaineJim said:
I have a few things -- nothing as nice as some of the things shown here but I picked up a these things someone tossed away at our town dump and thought they should be rescued.

Jim

Amazing what you can find at the city dump……lol those are very popular and not that
all that cheap now.

coinsarefun

@ZoidMeister said:

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I really like the design and from Carson City too! well, if you erase the one small G
Both sides I can really relate to prolly because I’m in construction.

ZoidMeister

A couple recent Masonic penny additions.

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Dewlynn59

I’m a Master Mason. My advice, find a Masonic lodge for that order and donate these coins to them. They would appreciate that.