Home Metal Detecting

Hmmmm. I appear to have a Masonic theme going this month...


I did some research earlier this spring on the local history here and happened across an old map of the city dating from 1890.
I noticed that a now local park once had a small block of homes shown on the map. I later found out that all of those homes were destroyed in the great flood of 1913. Most of the homesites appear to be in the wooded areas of the park, but it's a bit overgrown at the moment to go hunting.
I decided to hunt all along the woods in the open grass to see if any old goodies were still buried. Unfortunately my camera batteries went dead as I started to take the first pic of the area. image I dug some tin and old nails and lots of modern trash trying to hone in on one of the homesites.

After about 3 hrs of finding mostly nothing , I hit a good deep target that raised in pitch as I wiggled the coil over it. I dug almost 10 inches and was delighted and befuddled to see a strange silver disk dated 1855 with gold rims and legend. It's the size of a US half dollar tho it says penny, and is from Marion Ohio which is approx. 15 minutes away from town here.

From what little I have been able to find on line it is a Masonic order token likely given to members. S.S.T.K.S.H.T.W. appears on other masonic tokens I have run across on line, but I am clueless at this point to it's meaning. Also the RX shield symbol has me buffaloed as well. Honestly I'm still in shock at having found it.

Here it is.

image


So anyone got any clues on this one??


HH
Analog Rules! Knobs and Switches are cool!
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Comments

  • Man GR that is really cool looking!!

    Maybe the guy it was given to was a druggist??HH,Tom
    image


  • << <i>Maybe the guy it was given to was a druggist >>



    Could be...This is gonna take some effort to research further.

    I just noticed this at the bottom. It says whitehead road?
    image


    Edit:
    Ok. The shield is actually the Masonic Keystone symbol with masonic tools left and right of it.
    Modern Rx pharmaceutical symbol are all descended from the Eye of Horus which is the masonic all seeing eye symbol seen on our currency.
    After looking at two other examples I found online which are silver they date from 1900- 1920. All earlier ones are brass/copper.
    I'm still researching as I post.
    Analog Rules! Knobs and Switches are cool!
    imageimage
  • Wow, that's an awesome token GR, nice find!

    Good luck researching!
    image
  • kevinstangkevinstang Posts: 1,517 ✭✭✭
    Nice find, imagine what else could be there!
  • Really neat find!!

    President Harding was a Free Mason from that chapter. image

    -Amanda
    image

    I'm a YN working on a type set!

    My Buffalo Nickel Website Home of the Quirky Buffaloes Collection!

    Proud member of the CUFYNA


  • << <i>Really neat find!!

    President Harding was a Free Mason from that chapter. image

    -Amanda >>



    Good call Amanda!
    Makes sense since he was born in Marion. I drove by his Memorial 2 days ago when I was in town working.
    Analog Rules! Knobs and Switches are cool!
    imageimage
  • WillieBoyd2WillieBoyd2 Posts: 5,034 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Marion Chapter No 62 R.A.M

    R.A.M is Royal Arch Masons

    "K.S.H.T.W.S.S.T."

    The above letters are usually seen on a tombstone in a circular fashion more commonly known as a Royal Arch Mason.

    The headstone that displays this symbol is that of a man that was a Royal Arch Mason as well as a Master Mason who was active in his local Masonic Blue Lodge.

    Although "Master Mason" is the highest degree in the "Free and Accepted Masons" fraternity, there are other appended organizations which require that the member first be a "Master Mason" in order to participate. In each of these appended organizations, the Master Mason is instructed in additional degrees. Some of these appended organizations are; York Rite Mason, Scottish Rite Mason and Shiner.

    The "K.S.H.T.W.S.S.T." symbol on a headstone indicates that the person had completed the crytic degrees of the York Rite and was a "Royal Arch Mason" in the York Rite Degrees of Freemasonry.

    My father was a Mason and my grandfather was a Shriner, and thus a Mason.
    https://www.brianrxm.com
    The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
    Coins in Movies
    Coins on Television

  • Wow!

    Thank you so much for all that great information Willie!


    Analog Rules! Knobs and Switches are cool!
    imageimage
  • That is one fantastic find!!

    I'd vote for that for token of the year!

    My bio-dad was a Mason. I have his Masonic Bible as well as a gold Masonic ring from him



    found this interesting little tid-bit;

    York Rite Masons remember the order of the lettering by this cute little verse, "King Solomon Had Twelve Wives Some Say Twenty".
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,194 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Hey, John... remember this?

    Yours is silver, though, eh?

    Man, you're really climbing the Suckiness Scale.

    Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.
  • ZotZot Posts: 825 ✭✭✭
    image
    Wow!! That's quite a find! I can only imagine the rush of finding it!

    "Camera batteries died".... hee hee... the famous cover story to keep competition away until the site is clean imageimageimage

    Congrats on the find! And now you've done it.. I didn't plan to do any detecting today, but I've changed my mind image

    Also:
    image

    Minelab: GPX 5000, Excalibur II, Explorer SE. White's: MXT, PI Pro
  • wtg gr!....another nice find!
    "see ya at the beach"
    imageimageimageimage
  • Thanks everyone!
    I'm still buzzed so to speak after finding it.





    << <i>Hey, John... remember this?

    Yours is silver, though, eh?

    Man, you're really climbing the Suckiness Scale. >>




    Geez Rob! I completely forgot that post!

    The key to the puzzle was right here and I didn't even know it!







    << <i>"Camera batteries died".... hee hee... the famous cover story to keep competition away until the site is clean >>




    image


    As I was walking home a fellow pulled up in a jeep along the curb and asked if I had found anything. He also inquired about my detector and said he used a White's DFX.
    Let's just say he didn't get to see the token. image

    When the nasty foilage and such die down this fall, I will be bouncing from tree to tree!
    Analog Rules! Knobs and Switches are cool!
    imageimage
  • HighReliefHighRelief Posts: 3,654 ✭✭✭✭✭
    All this time I thought the Masons used Lodge instead of Chapter in their heading. Wasn"t Eastern Star the organization that used Chapter in their heading?


  • << <i>

    As I was walking home a fellow pulled up in a jeep along the curb and asked if I had found anything. He also inquired about my detector and said he used a White's DFX.
    Let's just say he didn't get to see the token. image

    When the nasty foilage and such die down this fall, I will be bouncing from tree to tree! >>




    Yeah, you gotts be careful with them DFX folks. They'll clean you out fast image
  • BurksBurks Posts: 1,103
    Very cool find!

    Marion isn't too far from where I grew up.
    WTB: Eric Plunk cards, jersey (signed or unsigned), and autographs. Basically anything related to him

    Positive BST: WhiteThunder (x2), Ajaan, onefasttalon, mirabela, Wizard1, cucamongacoin, mccardguy1


    Negative BST: NONE!
  • WillieBoyd2WillieBoyd2 Posts: 5,034 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Here's one I have:

    (Image Deleted)

    This one has seen a lot of use.

    Masonic Penny
    Chapter No.1. R.A.M. (Royal Arch Masons)
    St. Louis Missouri
    With copy of Roman coin of Caesar Augustus.
    https://www.brianrxm.com
    The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
    Coins in Movies
    Coins on Television

  • Wow, sweet find!
    I lust for silver.
    imageimageimageimage
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,194 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Looks to me like your lodge penny there was struck in brass and silver plated.

    Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.


  • << <i>Looks to me like your lodge penny there was struck in brass and silver plated. >>



    How does one tell oh Holey one?
    Analog Rules! Knobs and Switches are cool!
    imageimage
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,194 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Just by looking at it. Notice how the goldish color is at the high points, but has no clearly defined boundaries. It's particularly evident in the middle, where the "RX" is engraved. You can see where the silver has partially worn away. That silverplating probably did quite a bit to protect the piece while it was buried.

    Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,194 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I just noticed this at the bottom. It says whitehead road?
    image >>



    It's Whitehead & Hoag.

    From what I can see, they made other Masonic and fraternal organization items.

    They seem to be best known, however, for pinback celluloid buttons, such as the kind used in election campaigns. Check out this $9,200 example!

    Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.
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