‘The Massachusetts Masonic U.S. half dollar’

    

It sounds too good to be true: United States legal tender coinage with a distinct Masonic provenance—but apparently there were half dollars struck in 1864 that tell an unusual story about a lodge in Massachusetts.

In June, Stack’s Bowers Galleries auctioned one of these scarce pieces. Writing the June 19 “United States Coin of the Week” column, Chris Bullfinch reports:

On April 5, 1864, a fire destroyed the Boston Masonic Lodge known as Winthrop House, causing significant loss, including a number of silver ceremonial implements. The silver from these implements was recovered in the days after the fire and sent to the Philadelphia Mint to be coined into half dollars, which were in turn sold for $1 each to raise funds for the temple’s reconstruction. Each of the handful of known pieces is engraved to an individual person. This coin was engraved to William Bogle, a Brother at the Masonic Temple that provided the silver.

He emigrated to the United States from Scotland in 1840, settling in Boston, later North Malden, and establishing a hairdressing and wig making business on Washington Street in downtown Boston. He made his fortune selling hair care products of different kinds. He joined the Freemasons at the Lodge of St. Andrew in Boston in 1849 and was a charter member of the Wyoming Lodge, which was established in Melrose, Massachusetts in 1856.

At the time we last auctioned an 1864 Boston Masonic Lodge half dollar, in spring 2022, roughly eight were known. Some experts on Masonic history think there are likely more, but at time of writing, nine are known (including this example). Expert consensus holds that the engraving was done outside of the Mint, likely by a silversmith or jeweler in the city.

Bogle was a member of other Boston fraternal organizations, including the Scots Charitable Society and the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts. Some historical sources credit him with suggesting the name of Melrose, Massachusetts (formerly North Malden). He died in 1891. The Boston Post ran an obituary that described him as “godfather of Melrose” and offered this: “In his early years he took quite a lively interest in local affairs of the town and was prominent in its town meetings but always declined any public office.”

The consignor reports that they received this coin in change at a fast food restaurant decades ago. Owing to its unusual design, they kept it and presented it to a numismatist last year.

Our cataloger’s assessment of the Masonic half dollar’s appearance: “Beautifully and naturally retoned surfaces are dressed in warm dove and pewter gray shades. Hand-engraved with great skill in the left obverse field to WM. BOGLE, and with BOSTON / ENCAMPMENT in the right field. The reverse is similarly engraved around the central device, TAKEN FROM THE RUINS OF MASONIC TEMPLE / APRIL 6, 1864.”

I cannot find anything on the auction, whether this lot was sold, and at what price.

In related news, W. Bro. Stanley Chu, of Dalhousie Lodge in Massachusetts and an employee of Stack’s Bowers, made the news on WBZ with his appraisal of an extremely rare three pence coin minted in Boston during the 1650s:

     

‘Masonic Con returns to Ezekiel Bates Lodge’

    

Believe me, you’ll hear about Masonic Con New York, next January, when the time comes, but this edition of The Magpie Mason concerns the originators of Masonic Con announcing their next event for the first weekend of October at Ezekiel Bates Lodge in Attleboro, Massachusetts. From the publicity:

The original Masonic Con returns with an exciting lineup! Join us for a weekend filled with forty unique vendors, six engaging speakers, and an unforgettable festive board.

The event kicks off Friday night with Ezekiel Bates Lodge’s 154th installation of officers, setting the stage for a remarkable experience. Saturday: an entire day of amazing guest speakers and masonic venders from across the country! On Sunday, immerse yourself in a historical tour of Providence, exploring Masonic landmarks, Revolutionary history, and the world of H.P. Lovecraft.

Don’t miss this extraordinary gathering that blends tradition, history, and camaraderie. Be part of a legacy at Masonic Con, where the past and present converge in celebration of Freemasonry.

Sponsors: Ezekiel Bates Lodge AF&AM, Grand Council Royal & Select Master Masons of Massachusetts, and Massachusetts Chapter of Research.

Click here for tickets.

This is on my calendar and, pending the announcement of speakers, I plan to be there.

     

‘Everybody smiles’

    

Keeping things lighthearted to start the year, you can’t get much more easygoing than making everybody smile, can you?

Worcester Art Museum in Worcester, Massachusetts has on exhibit one of those rare sets of silver jewels for lodge officers crafted by Paul Revere.

All photos courtesy Morning Star Lodge AF&AM.

Revere was born January 1, 1735. He was initiated in St. Andrew’s Lodge, a Scottish lodge in Boston, in 1760. He served five terms as Worshipful Master there (plus four in another lodge), and was a Grand Lodge officer for many years. These pieces were made in 1793, two years before he became Grand Master, for the newly instituted (their term) Morning Star Lodge in Worcester.

As you can see, both Deacons’ jewels are inscribed with “Omnibus Arridet,” Latin for “everybody smiles.”

I don’t know what the motto might mean for the lodge. Was it designated to the Deacons because they are the messengers, and a happy countenance is preferable when attending to alarms? Although…

Paul Revere is known to history as an American patriot and as both an artisan silversmith and an artist engraver—but as a young man he became a dentist! During lean economic times in 1760s Boston, the peacetime following the French and Indian War, Paul Revere was in troublesome debt. To get by (and keep his house), he needed what the kids today call a “side hustle,” and so he learned how and then advertised his services as one who could fashion false teeth, at least for the front, using animal bone and ivory. “Everybody smiles” would be a smart tag line for a dentist’s ad campaign.

Seriously though, there is a Latin saying wrongly attributed Marcus Aurelius:

Mors nobis omnibus arridet, homo omnis hoc risum lenem redeuntem facere potest.

Or (maybe):

Death smiles at us all, all man can do is just smile back.

It seems these are good times for Morning Star Lodge. One of the Past Masters was installed Deputy Grand Master last week, and one of their own is the new DDGM. I bet they’re all smiling.

The collection of jewels is on long term loan, as part of a broader exhibit of Revere’s silversmithing, so there’s no need to rush today (although admission is free on first Sundays). Find them in the American Decorative Arts Gallery on the third floor.

WAM is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m to 4 p.m. 55 Salisbury Street in Worcester.

The most important jewel,
even if they do spell it ‘Tyler.’

Click here to see King Hiram’s Lodge’s Revere jewels.

     

‘DeWitt Clinton Lodge AF&AM’

    

And the third and last post about my recent trip to Massachusetts (see two previous posts) shares several photos of DeWitt Clinton Lodge in Sandwich.

I can attest to DeWitt Clinton’s motto: “The Lodge with the Hearty Welcome.” And it was great to meet, after many years of Masonic cyberspace acquaintance, RW Bro. David Catten.

And speaking of Right Worshipfuls, this meeting, like the previous night at King Hiram’s Lodge, featured the Fraternal Visit of the DDGM. A different district, so a different District Deputy. This time I successfully evaded conscription into the entourage. (Somehow I have forgotten the specific term used for the reception of the DDGM in the lodge.)

It was another great night as a visitor. There are some notable differences in Opening ritual from those I’m used to. Also, a memorial service for departed brethren in which the Master, Wardens, and Senior Deacon place evergreen sprigs on the altar is worth emulating.

Some photos:

The altar, after Closing.

The lodge’s namesake also is a ubiquitous presence in New York Freemasonry, where he served as Grand Master from 1806 to 1819.

U.S. Navy Captain Gerald F. DeConto was raised to the Sublime Degree April 4, 1998. Murdered at the Pentagon September 11, 2001.

Jeffrey W. Coombs was raised to the Sublime Degree December 21, 1983. Murdered aboard American Airlines 11 at New York City September 11, 2001.

‘Cape’ spelled backward.

     

‘Boston University Lodge AF&AM’

     
The marriage of colleges and universities to Freemasonry is a subject dear to me, not for the penchant for making more Masons, but for the proximity to education and culture. It’s a natural partnership that we do not see nearly enough. My own dream is to found Perstare et Praestare Lodge (to perservere and to excel) No. 1831 to meet in one of those beautiful townhouses along Washington Square North, but I digress.

Meanwhile in Massachusetts, Boston University Lodge has two events upcoming that you should know about, one this month, and the latter next spring. From the publicity:

Tales from the Vault:

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Masonic Aprons

Thursday, September 24 at 6 p.m.

Open to the public

Boston University Lodge AF&AM

186 Tremont Street

Boston, Massachusetts

As part of the Alumni Weekend events, we have asked Aimee Newell, Director of Collections at the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library, to give a presentation. The event is open to the public. A social period will follow the presentation.

Called “the badge of a Freemason” in Masonic ritual, the fraternity’s apron was adapted from the protective aprons worn by working stonemasons during the 1600s and 1700s. Still worn by members today, the apron remains one of the iconic symbols of Freemasonry. The Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library has more than 400 aprons in its collection, dating from the mid-1700s to the present; and made in the United States, England, China, and other countries. Aimee Newell will share examples of aprons from the Museum’s collection, telling stories about their manufacture and use and highlighting new discoveries uncovered in her research for The Badge of a Freemason: Masonic Aprons from the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library (published in 2015). A book-signing will follow the talk. Books will be available for $42.45 (tax included).

Aimee E. Newell previously worked as the Curator of Collections at the Nantucket Historical Association and as the Curator of Textiles and Fine Arts at Old Sturbridge Village. She holds a B.A. in American Studies from Amherst College, a M.A. in History from Northeastern University, and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. She is the lead author of Curiosities of the Craft: Treasures from the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts Collection (2013), and the author of The Badge of a Freemason: Masonic Aprons from the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library (2015). Newell writes and lectures frequently on American Masonic and fraternal history.

It’s a no-brainer. If you are in or near Boston, get there.

Next year, the lodge will endeavor something novel and massive: the academic conference. Details will be forthcoming, but save the dates March 31 through April 3, 2016 at the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts for the North American Masonic Academic Convocation. (Yeah, let that phrase sink in for a minute: North American Masonic Academic Convocation.)

Thursday, March 31—Kick-off lecture on Boston University campus.

Friday, April 1—Social outing.

Saturday, April 2—Convocation, break-out sessions, and dinner.

Sunday, April 3—To be determined.

Details are promised to come soon.

The lodge’s 90th anniversary will arrive October 8. Many happy returns, brethren! Many happy returns!
     

‘That Religion in Which All Men Agree’

     

Looking into spring, and venturing beyond my usual orbit, is this speaking engagement in Boston in April. Dr. David G. Hackett, Associate Professor of American Religious History at the University of Florida, will discuss his book That Religion in Which All Men Agree: Freemasonry in American Culture.

Wednesday, April 8

8 p.m.

Boston University

College of Arts and Sciences

685-725 Commonwealth Avenue

Room 211

Boston, Massachusetts

Presented by the American and New England Studies Program, Hackett will speak on “Enlarging the Field: Freemasonry in American Religious History.”

Admission is free and open to the public, courtesy of both Boston University Lodge and the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.

I don’t think I will be able to attend, but I expect to review the book and share those thoughts here.

     

‘Flashback Friday: Marblehead memories’

     

Today’s Flashback Friday edition of The Magpie Mind takes us to Thursday, April 8, 2010, a day I spent in the car en route to the “New Perspectives on American Freemasonry and Fraternalism” symposium, which would take place the following day at Lexington, Massachusetts. But before heading to my hotel in Lexington, I chose to visit the Marblehead Museum and Historical Society, where an exhibit of Masonic artifacts owned by Philanthropic Lodge, in celebration of the lodge’s 250th anniversary, was closing that very day.

Timing is everything.

Yet again, my notes from this very enjoyable couple of hours are with That Which Was Lost, but I present here more than three dozen photographs of the exhibit and from the lodge itself, courtesy of Bro. Don Doliber, Philanthropic’s highly knowledgeable and motivated historian, who just happened to have made an unplanned visit to the museum when I arrived. (Rashied says there is no such thing as coincidence.) Don curated this collection of centuries-old artworks and other objects. It had been a long time since I’d seen a museum exhibit of Masonic artifacts, outside of a Masonic facility, this extensive and interesting. (One of these days I’ll have to scan and post the photos I shot at both New Jersey’s exhibit at Boxwood Hall in Elizabeth, and the Livingston Library’s exhibit at Fraunces Tavern Museum in Manhattan, both c. 2001.)

Sorry to say the quality of some of these photos isn’t great. I neglected to bring a macro lens to shoot small objects. Many pieces were encased under glass. The lighting in the museum was tricky, with daylight dying in the windows and ceiling lights giving glare and shadows. I had hoped to create a pictorial for The Journal of The Masonic Society, but it didn’t work out, although I did get the unusual square and compasses that you’ll see into the Masonic Treasures section of Issue 11 years ago.

Here is a brief lodge history, found on Philanthropic’s website:

Philanthropic Lodge was originally chartered as ‘The Marblehead Lodge’ in 1760 by St. John’s Lodge No.1 under the Provincial Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. As this Marblehead Lodge was constituted during the reign of King George III, it was considered an English provincial lodge and all ritual was conducted in accord with English Masonic customs. Thus the Philanthropic Lodge seal bears the initials “F&AM” referring to the “Free and Accepted Masons” traditions of England.

In those early days only 2 degrees were granted to members. Candidates were made Entered Apprentices and Fellow Craftsmen and then were voted members of the lodge. Most of the business was conducted on the 1st Degree. For the first few years, as was the English custom, only the Master was granted the 3rd Degree of Master Mason. Within 18 years the Third Degree was granted to all members.

A 1760 candidate was John Pulling, Jr. (1737-1787), a Marblehead shipmaster, who lived in Boston in 1775. Paul Revere said to John Pulling in April, 1775: “...if the British march by land or sea tonight, hang a lantern aloft in the belfry tower in the North Church Tower, one if by land and two if by sea, I on the opposite shore will be.” … and the rest is history. It is also said that Elbridge Gerry (1744-1814), later 5th Vice President of the United States in 1813, became a member of the Marblehead lodge in 1769.

Its name was changed to “Philanthropic Lodge” in 1797 during the tenure of M.W. Paul Revere, Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts. The official seal designed sometime after 1798 consists of a 1-inch diameter circle, on the outside of which are the words, “Philanthropic Lodge, F. & A. M., Marblehead, Mass.” Inside the circle is a representation of the Good Samaritan pouring oil and wine into the wounds of a stranger, and above the inside edges of the circle are the words, “This Do Ye.”

The laying of the cornerstone and dedication of the Bunker Hill Monument took place on June 17, 1825 with Grand Lodge Officers and Bro. Marquis de Lafayette present. A delegation from Philanthropic Lodge also attended. Secretary Collyer wrote: “...it was contemplated that there was the largest assembly of people that ever met at one time in the United States of America.”

Philanthropic Lodge originally met at the home of Bro. (Commodore) Samuel Tucker on what is now Prospect Street, Marblehead. Since then, the Lodge has met in several places, one believed to be Tucker Street opposite the end of Mason Street. For the last 63 years we have called 62 Pleasant Street, home.

On March 21, 2006, Philanthropic lodge approved its merger with Wayfarers Lodge of Swampscott by a unanimous vote. On October 5, 2006, M.W. Jeffrey Black Hodgdon for Massachusetts conducted the merger ceremony. With that ceremony, 146 Masons from Wayfarers were enrolled in Philanthropic Lodge.

Philanthropic Lodge is the 3rd oldest Masonic Lodge in Massachusetts and the 19th oldest Masonic Lodge in the United States. It currently enjoys one of the largest memberships (546) in Massachusetts.


Enjoy this look back at a remarkable Masonic lodge’s commemoration of its 250th anniversary in 2010.

Don Doliber, historian of Philanthropic Lodge in Marblehead, Massachusetts, strikes a pose with the portrait of Elbridge Gerry, also a lodge member in the late eighteenth century. Don curated the exhibit presented by the Marblehead Museum and Historical Society in the winter and early spring of 2010.

Bro. Edward Fettyplace (1722-1805) was a charter member of the lodge in 1760.  He held various positions in local government during the Revolution, and served as First Lieutenant of the schooner Franklin in 1776. Read more about this ship below.

Captain Joseph Lemon Lee (1785-1819).

Richard Girdler, a sea captain (1761-1847) joined the lodge in 1834. Portrait painted by William Bartoll.

Don's ancestor John Doliber (1768-1829) joined the lodge in 1809. He too was a sea captain,  owner of the vessels Union, Friendship, Two Sisters, and Five Sisters. Artist unknown, but possibly painted in France.

Philip Bessom (1746-1836) joined the lodge in 1797. Soldier, sea captain, Marblehead Selectman, and Representative to the Massachusetts General Court.

Possibly the lodge's warrant. My notes are gone. Perhaps someone from Philanthropic could leave a comment below.

One sees these punch bowls in Masonic collections up and down the East Coast, and elsewhere I'm sure. This one is of Chinese manufacture, mid nineteenth century. Known as Armorial or Societal China, such pieces were commissioned by American and English consumers. Masonic symbols were sent to China for the porcelain artists to copy.

Dr. Elisha Story (1743-1805) joined Philanthropic Lodge in 1778. A participant in the Boston Tea Party, he also stole a British cannon from Boston Common. Joined the Sons of Liberty, served as a doctor to Colonel Little's Essex regiment, and fought as a volunteer at Lexington and Bunker’s Hill. He aided General Washington on his campaigns to Long Island, White Plains, and Trenton. He was a doctor for the rest of his life at the practice he settled in Marblehead. 

Dr. Story's medical kit. It is said he used this during his service in the Revolution.

Elbridge Gerry painted by William Goodwin. From the lodge’s website: 'Elbridge Gerry was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts on July 17, 1744. He studied at Harvard to be a merchant, graduating in 1762. He was elected to the Massachusetts Legislature in 1773 and was selected to attend the Provincial Congress in 1774. He was a member of the Marblehead Lodge of Masons. He signed the Declaration of Independence. He was then appointed to the Continental Congress, where he was engaged in committee work on commercial and naval concerns. He attended the Constitutional Convention in 1798 but was opposed to the new Federal Constitution, refusing to sign it. He was elected to the first two Congresses from Massachusetts and, in 1797, was one of several envoys sent to France. He was elected governor of Massachusetts in 1810 and 1811. He was much criticized for redistricting the state to the advantage of his own party (Democratic-Republican). That incident was the source of the term gerrymandering. In 1812 he was elected Vice President of the United States. He died in office, on November 23, 1814, at the age of 70.'

John Glover (1732-97) joined the lodge in 1760 as a Charter Member. An illustrious military career before and during the Revolution. Google him.

Elisha Story was Philanthropic's fourth Worshipful Master at the time of George Washington's death in 1799.  For thirty days after Washington's death, the brethren wore armbands similar to this one.

Philanthropic Lodge's Master's gavel, fashioned from wood taken from the USS Constitution.

Medallion profile of George Washington, carved as a decoration for Washington's visit to Salem and Marblehead in 1789. Attributed to Samuel MacIntyre.

Click to enlarge.

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Click to enlarge. Masonic apron from the museum's archives.

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Replica of the Masonic apron of Richard Harris, a Charter Member of the lodge, and its second Worshipful Master. The original apron is among the collection of the Scottish Rite Masonic Library and Museum in Lexington.

250th anniversary apron depicts the lodge emblem and the historic square and compasses you'll read about below.

Click to enlarge. Captain James Mugford was not a Freemason. A Marblehead hero of the Revolution, he commanded the Franklin, which captured the HMS Hope.

Samuel Russell Trevett (1751-1832). Served in the British army before the Revolution, fought against Britain in the Revolution, and fought the British again in 1812, when he was captured. He was Philanthropic's third Worshipful Master in 1781. In 1779, he was co-owner of the brig Freemason.

Shot of the museum.

Philanthropic Lodge is located at 62 Pleasant Street, just around the corner from its previous digs, appropriately on Mason Street.

A Masonic temple. Remember those?

If I understand correctly, this flag flew on the USS Constitution during its July 21, 1993 voyage, its first in 116 years.

Masonic apron made of kangaroo skin, given to Bro. Floyd Soule during his trip to Australia in 1965...so he may be properly attired there.

Past Master apron of W. Chester Damon, who presided over the lodge in 1931-32.

Best I can tell, this is an invitation to a Brother to attend the lodge's St. John's Day festivities, year unknown.

Click to enlarge. A Dudley Masonic Emblem pocket watch. Read more about that here.

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge. There are so many Masonic treasures in the possession of Philanthropic Lodge, including this priceless pair of Great Lights kept at the lodge. The brethren call the set the '1776 Square & Compass.'

On May 17, 1776, the schooner Franklin, commanded by Captain James Mugford, captured the Royal Navy schooner Hope, which wound up providing essential materiel for Gen. George Washington’s forces at Cambridge. Mugford, not a Freemason, was killed in action later that year. The compass, termed a 'divider,' and the square are believed to have been the working tools of the British ship’s navigator. Bro. James Topham, a descendent of Mugford, donated the compass to Philanthropic Lodge in 1858, and then gave the square in 1862. The have been used to make Masons in Philanthropic ever since.