‘Amazing silver antique being auctioned’

    

You’ll always find interesting Masonic pieces on liveauctioneers.com, and with twenty-four hours remaining is this antique silver pendant under the gavel. The auctioneers say:

The Latin for Faith, Hope, and Charity at the top; and Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth on the bottom.

Colonial American silver Masonic medal or mark jewel for Eliakim Morse, 18th century. Exceptional highly decorated surfaces with engraved symbols from Freemasonry. Border with Latin inscriptions and mottos. Tapered oval form with spurs and pendant hole at top. 2.75in length. 0.62 ozt.

Courage and Loyalty at top; Silence, Good Behavior, and Fraternity on bottom.

Morse (1712-1803) lived in Medfield, Massachusetts and was a prominent figure in the community. His house still stands in the town today. Provenance: by descent through the Morse family.

Bidding as I type this has reached $500 and the estimated sale price is $800 to $1,200. Click here to check it out.

I am curious to know more about Bro. Morse. The commemorative book Dedication of the Medford Town Hall Sept. 10, 1872; Re-Dedication Nov. 2, 1874 gives a little hint:

One hundred and fifty-three names—all the heads of families or freeholders—appear upon your records appended to the articles of association recommended by the Continental Congress at Philadelphia, whereby the Colonies practically sever their connection with the mother country. It is to be noted also with grateful pride that, in the same voice and votes in which they assert their own rights, they maintain those of all men, and condemn slavery. They say that it appears absurd to plead for liberty and yet patronize the most cruel servitude and bondage; and yet the “poor Africans taken from all that is dear to them on their native soil, have not the least shadow of liberty remaining.”

“We wish,” they say, “to maintain constitutional liberty ourselves, and cannot endure the thought of its being withheld from the same flesh and blood for no other reason that we can conceive of but because the God of nature has been pleased to tinge their skins with a different color from our own.” Thus early did the principles of anti-slavery take root in this town.

Who were the actors in that scene? We only know by the records and by tradition. The names of Daniel Perry, William Plimpton, Moses Bullen, Eliakim Morse, Henry Adams, Nathan Plimpton, Oliver Ellice, Seth Dwight, Eleazer White, Seth Clark and Nathan Coolidge appear constantly.