Something I`ve always wondered. Many LC collectors have ran across one at one time or other. A quick ebay search will find dozens of them for sale. You`ll even find a gentleman selling the punches so you can make your own. Why is it so common among The Masons? Here is a modern example:
They've done it for decades. Here is an older repousse example:
They have changed slightly over the years too:
Any insight would be appreciated and thank you in advance.
IMHO, they are stamped by some random people, hoping that those c/s cents would puzzle someone who find them, or even hoping that they will spark up some urban myth of some kind .
Edit:
Quote: You`ll even find a gentleman selling the punches so you can make your own.
At least my opinion is in line with this statement
The Masons have an intricate system of levels, secret hand shakes, codex, pictorial representations, insignia, and other craft designed to help one Mason know another while not alerting the uninitiated.
Think of it as the boys club for big boys.
These C/s were probably passed to alert someone of their membership.
Quote: Why is it so common among The Masons? Here is a modern example:
Can't guarantee it but I have a theory. Back in the 19th century it was quite common for many if not most Masonic lodges to have produced for thema copper token presented to new members when they joined or rose past a certain level. They tokens, known as Mark Pennies, were typically about the size of a British penny. They could be used to identify members of the lodge or to identify a Mason to another. In the 20th century these large copper tokens died out, possibly due to cost of production. I believe the counterstamped cents became the replacement for the old Mark Pennies. They don't identify the lodge, but they could still be used to identify one as a Mason.
This isn't something freemasons do. There are mark pennies, but they are totally crafted copper or silver tokens, about the size of a large cent, and representative of a particular lodge on one side, and then usually a Keystone on the other side, and not the compass and square, although it is on some lodges mark pennies. some are personalized for specific member of the lodge but it depends on the lodge and what they do.
Other than that, I'll add you can buy a freemason counter punch from Amazon if you wanted to and it has nothing to do with freemasonry. that's all I got to say about that. LOL
@Bigkingdom. The problem I have is I have hundreds of them in my collection dating as far back to the mid 1800s. Most of them are different though I have matched a few stamps. Why so many. just about every year from 1911 on. There has to be some connection to the masons. Back then making a stamp was difficult. Some of the detail is amazing. For someone to put so much into making them there has to be some sort of connection. I know about the stamps you can buy on ebay. There is one unscrupulous seller stamping misc coins, making them look old and selling them as "Rare Vintage WWII Missing Masonic counter stamps". (I could be off on the exact wording.) What's funny is he has ten of them on sale at any given time. But I digress. If anybody has any other insight I'd appreciate it. Thanks in advance.
This new ANA presentation will go through the history of Masonic Pennies and examples of the different types of pennies. Many of the Pennies have interesting stories and some of them will be discussed. Much of this information is being presented for the first time.
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Posted 12/25/2017 11:36 am
