Hmmmm. I appear to have a Masonic theme going this month...
goldrush00013
Posts: 2,478 ✭
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.
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.
So anyone got any clues on this one??
HH
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Maybe the guy it was given to was a druggist??HH,Tom
<< <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?
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.
Good luck researching!
President Harding was a Free Mason from that chapter.
-Amanda
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<< <i>Really neat find!!
President Harding was a Free Mason from that chapter.
-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.
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.
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Thank you so much for all that great information Willie!
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".
Yours is silver, though, eh?
Man, you're really climbing the Suckiness Scale.
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
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
Also:
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 >>
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.
When the nasty foilage and such die down this fall, I will be bouncing from tree to tree!
<< <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.
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
Marion isn't too far from where I grew up.
Positive BST: WhiteThunder (x2), Ajaan, onefasttalon, mirabela, Wizard1, cucamongacoin, mccardguy1
Negative BST: NONE!
(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.
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<< <i>Looks to me like your lodge penny there was struck in brass and silver plated. >>
How does one tell oh Holey one?
<< <i>I just noticed this at the bottom. It says whitehead road?
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!