Non Military medal ident request...?

[jlava]

Mornign all..
Anyone have any idea what this is...a neighbor gave it to me, she had no idea what it was...was in her grandfathers stuff she found when cleaning out his house.
Since it's from my home town I like it...
Thanks,
jason

[Rick Research]

I believe it's some sort of Spanish-American War, 1898 veterans' association. Tons of similar around here.

The only reason I don't think it is Civil War or WWI is: I remember the WWI guys, and never saw one wearing these, and the Civil War veterans (at least Bluebellies) had G.A.R. and nothing else I've ever seen.

[jlava]

I saw the same medal this afternoon at a junk shop on a tunic with nice bullion shoulder straps with crosses on them...
Anyone know what a "Devoted Service Medal" is or looks like? Doubt its thios, since churches would most likely not have E Pluribus Unum" on it or would they?

[Bill D.]

This is a Masonic / Fraternal society badge of the late 19th / early 20th century. It was generic, although it could have devices added to it as yours did to make it more specific to a particular Lodge or location.

[McCulloh]

Its' Masonic. With mine (I inherited it from Grandpa) you can flip the ribbon to black and wear it to funerals. Its' a simple service/vets' medal. Often as Bill said above, the Lodge has a bar attached.
Cheers,
JeMc

[jlava]

Thanks all for the replies...was helpful...I'm like a squirrel...shiney things catch my attention and amongst all the junk in the box this caught my eye...
jason

[jlava]

Could / would you post an image of your Granpa's medal JeMc?
Thanks,
jason

[jlava]

Here is the reply from the Missouri FreeMasons on what the medal is..
--
The picture you sent me is of a medal given during and as a part of the initiation ritual in the York Rite Degrees. The York Rite is an appendant body of Freemasonry consisting of three parts; Chapter, Council, and Commandery.

The metal you have was given to someone who was initiated into St. Louis Commandery No. 1, St. Louis, Missouri.

[McCulloh]

I'd love to, but scanning is beyond my technical capacity-ask Rick, I whine to him about it all the time.
It looks the same as the above, except with a reversable ribbon.
Sorry,
JeMc

[VerKuilen Ager]

A correct i.d. is sprinkled through the previous posts. This was not Masonic (I can't imagine how somebody put a York Rite tag on this). It was G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic), a veterans' organization for Union vets of the Civil War. The medal is commonly known as the "death" or "funeral" medal and was intended for pall bearers (hence the black ribbon). There are umpteen variations of it and you can usually find at least one or two at every gun show, and more than that at a good militaria meet. For those interested in the vast array of such bangles, I'd suggest Lee Bishop's American Society Medals: An Identification Guide which is still in print. There are also several good Web sites on fraternal "jewels" and organizations badges. Browse the links at
http://www.cyndislist.com/clothing.htm#Jewelry

[jlava]

Thanks much Histaria...make it a bit more interesting to myself since its GAR as opposed to Freemason....
If only thos guys in little clown cars and fezs would quite watching my house.
Thanks much...have a good day all
jason

[sparkchaser]

Wrong-o not GAR

Soory to say, but the piece is not GAR, it is Knights Templar - a military appearing Masonic Order.

I posted the query to a Civil War Collector's Listserve I belong to and received this reply from a respected GAR collector:

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Once more they appear - so once more I'll jump in. This is the "official" still in use today badge of the Knights Templar - a military appearing Masonic Order. Their local chapters are called Commanderies Thus the second bar is the local chapter within the Missouri area. I have a similar badge with dues card featuring the name & number assuring us all that these badges are Knights Templar. For our new readers, Brad Long in 1990 wrote a little pamphlet called Collecting Gar Memorabilia. Kirkland of Dixie Gun Works jumped on this and displayed hundreds of them as GAR Death badges and still another book on American Military Societies repeat the story.

Three times in print still does not make it true.

As Past Senior Vice Commander in Chief of the Sons of Union Veterans I never had heard this story during the 1960s or 1970s while was was advancing through local, state, and national offices of the Sons. I met numerous old members of the Sons. One of my closest friends had served as Comdr in Chief in 1924 and had joined in 1910 when there were lots of old veterans still living. Finally I wrote to Brad as to where this information had evolved. It is not in any copy of the "Blue Book" - the official GAR regulations published annually by GAR HQ. I could not find it in any Dept Regulations either.

He replied that he had spoken with GAR dealers David Wells of Omaha ,Neb & Donald Limpert of Manchester , Mich and was told this badge kept turning up in boxes of GAR badges purchased from veterans families so they had to be GAR even tho a number of other fraternal orders had also used them.

Both Roger Heiple (founder of the GAR Collectors Society & owner of 10,000 + pieces of GAR) and myself came to the same conclusion through separate research. IT NEVER WAS USED BY ANY GAR POST EVER!

The old soldiers liked the military appearance of the Knights Templar. Plummed hat with black capes with red lining, black kepis, black tousers, red cross, shoulder boards, swords, etc It was a society that reminded them of the army. It was a very popular protestant movement doing charitable works - tens of thousands of men belonged to it in the pre-TV days. Since many old soldiers belonged to both the GAR and the Knights Templar they kept these important badges together in a dresser drawer. When they died the relatives sold both badges together.
My grandfather & uncle were both very active in the Knights Templar & as I child I loved going through their uniform suitcases with these strangle looking uniforms & badges. Both my great grandfathers were active in the GAR. I always knew there were two different clubs that men belonged.

Sadly a few unknowing dealers have increased the value by adding these Knight Templar badges were actually Lincoln Death badges worn by the GAR at his funeral.. Now before that gets added to the story, Lincoln was killed on April 15, 1865. The Military Order of the Loyal Legion formed a day or two later to serve as an honor guard for Lincoln's funeral. They were current or recently discharged commissioned Union officers. The GAR did not form until a year later in April 1866. That is why the official GAR badges always carry the dates 1861 - 1866 rather than 1861 to 1865. I hope this helps.

A few months ago when we had this discussion, I tried recalling a book about mens social clubs. I could not recall the name. For those who want to try to locate that book, it is called "50 million Brothers" written by Charles Ferguson and published by Farar & Rinehart in 1937.

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Whew! I hope that sets the record straight.

Rob in Lynchburg
"Radiation Shield Since 1998"
sparkchaser@adelphia.net
AOL IM: sparkchaser1998
Visit my Collection of Collections site - A site by a collector for collectors
http://www.collectionofcollections.com

The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of my employer, not necessarily mine, and probably not necessary.

[jlava]

Wow this thing sure brought out allot of info...
thanks again all...guess the guy at the Masonic temple I emailed was right..mine seems like there is some age to the enamel part...detail seems a bit much by todays standards...not as cheaply made...

[VerKuilen Ager]

Ok, I'm ready to eat crow about the GAR. However, it would be helpful if somebody could offer a little more about the Masonic Knights Templar connection. Here's why:

1. The Knights Templar cross is a cross formy (or paty, as you prefer), with all sides straight (kind of like an Iron Cross but with straight lines instead of curves on the inner edges). The medal in question is an 8-pointed or "maltese" cross. Totally different.

2. The KT motto is "In Hoc Signo Vinces." No match there.

3. The KT emblem is a cross and crown. No match there either.

Perhaps a picture of that "badge with dues card" would clear up some of the haze?

[McCulloh]

Histaria:
All true,
but that's not the point for the York Rite Masons.
After one takes ones 3rd degree (Master Mason) one has a choice (if you wish to progress in Masonic degrees of enlightenment) of either going York Rite of Scottish Rite. Both Rites, based upon ornate degrees and ceremonies established and reworked in the late 17th and early 18th centuries (a time of the Glorious Revolution) are quite Protestant and egalitarian/democratic in philosophy (Revolutionary concepts at the time; this is why Franco and Stalin shot all their Masons).
As I understand it, the medal was designed shortly after end of the Civil war when the Lodges grew-nay exploded in popularity between 1861-1910. This was because they served as an affiliated fraternity to the GAR and also as a social center for the "native" Protestant men. Also, many of the Lodges were staunchly Republican and thousands of Billy Yanks had joined the fraternity during the war (being bored they had time to study for the degrees). I read somewhere that in the "Republican era" 90% of native born Protestant American males were lodge members at one point during their lives.
Note that the African-Americans have a separate (Prince Hall) Lodge system based upon the old British Army Lodges founded in Boston during the Tea/Stamp Tax occupation. These Lodges are arguably the most powerful and certainly the richest lodges today.They fiercly resist any hint of amalgamation with "white" Lodges.
Anyway, the design has nothing to do with the supposed inheritance of the Knights Templar fraternal order (Although recent objective scholarship seems to show that this may in fact be the case, as Masons have always claimed). It has a lot to do with a made up history for the Order. No Crowns or Latin? Too foreign and Popish for the Victorian York Rite Masons.
I have some dues cards and old certificates that I can post, although we are not supposed to give away fraternal secrets.
I always thought that it was not only a members' badge but also indicated military service. But upon reflection I guess its merely coincidence that 100% of the lodge are vets.
Cheers,
JeMc