Chapter Penny

Royal Arch Masons Chapter penny, used as an identifier for members

Cool, I like the multiple struck reverse

It is what is says a memento of the laying of the corner stone of the temple in Detroit. It is a stage and production show venue. That in the last years fallen on hard times due to the shrinking size of the membership, and corresponding influx of revenue. And declining turn out for the shows and concerts there. It was heading for bankruptcy, foreclosure and or sale. I don't remember what the exact outcome was and it hasn't been in the news of late. Last I heard they cancelled some shows as they were turning of the electricity a year or so back.

The first token is indeed a Masonic penny, traded between members as keepsakes. In Canada (and probably in America too) they would often have a blank space in the center of the circle with the letters "KSHTWSST", where members could engrave their monogram before trading them off. They are quite interesting but (as you'd expect from a secret society) poorly documented. Here's mine - yours is probably older and more valuable (I could see it going for more than $20 as a novelty alone - the strike error is very cool):



On ebay, it looks like any authentic Masonic penny can fetch more than $10, and most auctions have multiple bidders. But it's not an area of exonumia that I know much about.