Cold hunt--but gold warmed me up :)

[kurtnks]

Hello all,
It was around 29° here today with drizzle and sleet. wasn’t going to stop me from getting to my favorite ghost town site I took my F75 because wanted to try it on this field and wasn’t ready to take my new E-trac out in the weather :-\ By the way…love that F75! Anyway,I hunted for about 3 hr’s was building ice on the coil and my mustache and wasn’t finding much, brass rivet’s, small pieces of brass and copper--then found a what looks to be shield nickel? It’s very crusted over and nasty looking, but it’s the same size as a nickel and can kind of make out part of a shield. So a maybe on that one. So with my luck starting to turn I got a deep signal, was bouncing around the tab zinc area showing 11� down. After digging it was more like 12-13� deep “in a plowed field� I seen a beautiful gold colored item,this thing has a luster that is amazing I don’t know anything about it, haven’t had time to look it up yet, and was hoping I could talk the research guru tanacat into helping me figure it out! It’s some kind of Masonic thing I think, it looks like it may have had a skull and cross bones on the front? It’s plated but plating is THICK maybe 1/16 on each side! (about an inch across)Any help would be great. The place I found this dates from 1874-1895 and has been farm ground since 1896 with no activity there. This is the same place I have found a 1853 seated half dime, newest coin being 1883--Thanks Kurt

[coinnut]

Nice hunt Kurt!! Congrats on not freezing to death lol Great medal and I think you are right about the Shield nickel. Can't wait for you to get an ID from Tanacat on that one....come on girl, the pressures on Thank God for Google. lol

[Epi-hunter]

That's a shield nickel for sure, and I am definitely curious about that other item... there does seem to be a skull and crossbones at the bottom of it. Tanacat, tell us what it is! A very good day thumbsup01 can't believe you braved that kind of weather

[angellionel]

Cool find! That shield nickel has seen better days, but it still makes for a sweet find too.

[Jason in Enid]

That's a great find. Almost looks hand-made. It really does look to be fraternal, but not sure about about the meaning of the moto.

Don't know if this helps much but look here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_hoc_signo_vinces

[del]

i believe it was used by the Templar Knights and then by the masons the motto in this sign you will conquer but i'm still not sure what the item is maybe a fob or pendant for a chain , not sure.

[kurtnks]

That's a great find. Almost looks hand-made.

You know I was thinking that also,I found a list of merchants in this ghost town and there was two jewelers there at one time. So could be very possible?

[John M]

The cross is similar to what the Knights Templar used but the interior design does not match.Some of the symbolism around the cross can be attributed to them as well as the Freemasons.Both groups were very powerful through history but I believe that this item is not from either group.A very unique item,what it represents I do not know.

[handyman]

Greatfinds. nothing like cold metal to warm you up.

[tanacat]

hoping I could talk the research guru tanacat into helping me figure it out!

Aw shux -thanks for making me feel special lol Just saw this thread!

Wow what a friggin' AWESOME score!!! I am absolutely enthralled by the mystery surrounding the Freemasons (Speaking of, they just built a masonic temple a few doors down from my mom's house- we thought about bugging the place... rofl)

A kinda funny story about the mason logo at the very top of your pendant. Years and years ago I dated a guy who wore a mason ring. I'd never seen that logo before and asked him about it- he just smiled to himself and wouldn't answer. Smug with his little secret... Oh so naive, I eventually figured it out on my own. He was actually a very wierd guy

Off to check out the link Jason shared and search around some myself...

[tanacat]

Hmmmm, maybe that top symbol is two swords and a vine instead of the masonic compass? It is similiar... naaa it's the compass...

http://orderofcenturions.net/symbol.html

COMPASS (Masonic): The Masonic symbol of the compass and the T-square represents movement toward perfection and a balance between the spiritual and physical which resembles Egyptian and oriental mysticism. The compass (used to form circles) represent spirit. The ruler (part of a square) represent the physical. Some public schools pass out pencil cases and other gifts decorated with this emblem.

Here's a great site on symbols!

http://www.radioliberty.com/Symbolsandtheirmeaning.html

[SeabeeRon]

Very cool finds Kurt! I have one V to my credit out here on the west coast, love those coins!

[kurtnks]

Thanks for the help tanacat and everyone else, I have showed this to a friend of mine who is a 33 degree mason and he thinks it maybe from the York rite of the knights of the Templar? I emailed a pic of it to a Templar site.So I'll see what they say Kurt

[tanacat]

Here's a similiar one on EBay- kinda, sorta
(it's got the same skull and cross bones anyway)
$675.00!




http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...=263602_263622

[tanacat]

CHECK THIS OUT thumbsup01 3 out of 4 of those symbols on this one- if you go to the site you can turn it over and use the nifty magnifier... but it's still missing the shield/sword symbol and the center 'head with light rays coming out' ? I think supposed to signify all consuming knowledge or something lol Okay sorry to all you metal detecting freemasons here on this forum, it's just a low jab at my Ex...

http://www.icollector.com/Antique-Fr...n-Pin_i8493421

Thanks for the help tanacat and everyone else, I have showed this to a friend of mine who is a 33 degree mason and he thinks it maybe from the York rite of the knights of the Templar? I emailed a pic of it to a Templar site.So I'll see what they say Kurt

That's funny, the pendant above came from a site where 33 degree Scottish Rite Master Mason auctioned his lifetime collection, lots of interesting things... so many pins/pendants I couldn't zoom in on them all. It's late, I'm tired, if someone else wants to check it out and solve the mystery tonight!

http://www.icollector.com/Masonic-Ha...oys_as14665_p4

[kurtnks]

Thats pretty cool tanacat thumbsup01 May all your finds be silver and gold for helping me out