What is this?

MICHAELDIXON

Does anybody know?

olmanjon

Looks like some kind of Masonic token. Nothing I have ever seen however.
Olmanjon

WillieBoyd2

It's a Masonic "penny" token, probably from a Royal Arch Masons lodge.

This is a blank one:



Some have generic inscriptions, some have items of Masonic significace, like the Ark of the Covenant.

The inscription on the original poster's token is taken from an ancient Judean shekel coin.

The emblem "HTWSSTKS" means "Hiram of Tyre, Widow's Son, Sent To King Solomon".

Sapyx

As I understand the usage of these "pennies" (though you probably have to join the Order to find out the truth, as they're not supposed to divulge their secrets), when a Royal Arch mason is "made mark", they are given one of these tokens and asked to inscribe their own personal sigil or cipher onto the blank disc in the centre of the keystone. It then becomes kind of an ID badge for them in subsequent rituals. So "pennies" that are still blank in the centre are either unissued or the member never got around to getting his engraved.

The central hole in the second one, that WillieBoyd2 posted, looks curious - I'm wondering if it might actually have been engraved with a Mark, which was subsequently removed or defaced.

WillieBoyd2

Most of the ones that I have seen don't have personal marks.

The damage to my generic penny may be just dings and scratches,
there are some on both sides of the coin.