Gallery Past Master Jewels – Henry Coil Museum Exhibits

1

Past Master’s Jewel
Escurial Lodge No. 7
Virginia City, Nevada, 1869
Gold
Acc# 84.13.1

Chartered in 1864 as Escurial Lodge No. 171 under the Grand Lodge of California, the lodge became Escurial Lodge No. 7 upon the founding of the Grand Lodge of Nevada in in 1865. This solid gold past master’s jewel is a fitting representation of Masonry in Virginia City, Nevada. The city was the site of the Comstock Lode, the most valuable ore discovery in the western United States, producing more than $14,000,000 of gold and $21,000,000 of silver in the peak year of 1877.

The engraving on its reverse reads: “Presented to Past Master S.B. Fergson by the members of Escurial Lodge No. 7.”

2

The current English form of the jewel, first illustrated in the Constitutions of 1841, is a square hung at its apex with a pendant diagram of Euclid’s 47th mathematical proposition suspended beneath, making the entire jewel hang in symmetrical balance (as seen here, in the elaborate English past master’s jewel at center). The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania also adopted this style, rendering their past master’s jewels distinct from those from the rest of the grand lodges of the United States.

Left
Past Master’s Jewel
Tyne Lodge No. 991
Wallsend, England, 1877
Gold
Acc# 390.1

Engraving on reverse: “Presented by the brethren of Tyne Lodge No. 991 to brother George A. Allan, PM as a mark of esteem Jan. 1, 1877.”

Center
Past Master’s Jewel
Ionic Lodge No. 525
Wexford, Pennsylvania, 1899
silver, enamel, blue silk
Acc# 526.2.1

Engraving on reverse: “Presented to Robert W. Bissell, Ionic Lodge No. 525 1899”

Right
Past Master’s Jewel
Amity Lodge No. 685
Homestead, Pennsylvania, 1919
Silver
Acc# 93.62.1

Engraving on reverse: “Presented to Past Master Frank Seaffer by Amity Lodge No. 685 F.&A.M., Dec. 27, 1919.”

3

Past Master’s Jewel
Benevolent Lodge No. 312
Saint John’s, Newfoundland, 1821
Silver, silk
Acc# 182.2

Benevolent Lodge No. 247 in St. John’s was warranted in March, 1788 by the Grand Lodge of the Ancients of England. It was renumbered as Benevolent Lodge No. 312 in 1813 with the founding of the United Grand Lodge of England, renumbered again as Lodge No. 220 in 1832, and erased in 1852. This rare jewel, from 1821, illustrates the “Gallows” style of past master’s jewel, used in England before and briefly after the grand union of the “Ancient” and “Modern” factions in 1813.

Engraving on reverse: “From the Brethren of Benevolent Lodge #312 to their late W.M. F. Shanks in Testimony of their appreciation and esteem Saint Johns Newfoundland, February 1821.”

4

These three past master’s jewels, produced in San Francisco from 1888 to 1893, are almost exact copies—with slight decorative variations. They illustrate the simple style of past master’s jewels in the late 19th century. In serving a two-fold purpose as regalia and personal memento, past master jewels were occasionally purchased in groups either for reasons of economy or similarity of design. One would be presented to the retiring master of the lodge, and another to his successor. The pair from Oakland Lodge No. 188 on the right were presented to successive masters, John Kercheval in 1892 and William Pierce in 1893.

Left
Past Master’s Jewel
California Lodge No. 1
San Francisco, CA, 1888
Silver, blue silk
Acc# 550.1

Engraving on reverse: “Presented to Past Master Edward P. Cressy by California Lodge No. 1 F. & A.M. Dec. 27th 1888.”

Center
Past Master’s Jewel
Oakland Lodge No. 188
Oakland, CA, 1892
Silver, gold
Acc# 555.1

Engraving on reverse: “Presented to Past Master John Hereford Kercheval by Oakland Lodge No. 188 F. & A.M. Dec. 10th 1892.”

Right
Past Master’s Jewel
Oakland Lodge No. 188
Oakland, CA, 1893
Gold and silver
Acc# 927.1

Engraving on reverse: “Presented to Past Master William Frank Pierce by Oakland Lodge No. 188 F. & A.M. Dec. 30, 1893.”

5

Past Master’s Jewel
Batavia Lodge No. 475
Batavia, New York, 1929
Gold, enamel, blue silk
Acc# 93.19A

When William Morgan was carried off from a jail cell in Batavia, New York in 1826, allegedly at the hands of overzealous Batavia Masons, the incident set off the most prolonged and virulent anti-Masonic period in U.S. history. This past master’s jewel from Batavia Lodge No. 475 was given to the master of the lodge roughly 100 years later, attesting to the tenacity of Freemasonry.

Engraving on reverse: “Presented to Robert L. Steele, W.M. 1929 by Batavia Lodge No. 475.”

Past Master’s Jewel
Harmony Lodge No. 52
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1815
Brass
Acc# 2002.23.20

6

This brass past master’s jewel belonged to a master from Harmony Lodge No. 52 of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. Inscribed with the date 1815 and the initials “J.A.K.”, the jewel doesn’t offer much information about the owner, but does give us some insight into an early form of the jewel. Made of brass with detailed decorative engravings, the jewel’s design is similar to the current California style and seems to predate the adoption of the English form of the jewel by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.

Engraving on reverse: “J.A.K. Harmony No. 52, PENN A.L. 5815.”

7

Past Master’s Jewel
The Zetland in the East Lodge No. 508
Singapore, 1949
Gold, silk, enamel
Acc# 82.11.8

Rev. Amstutz was an American Mason who served as a Methodist missionary in Southeast Asia from 1926 to 1942. He was imprisoned by the Japanese during World War II, spending the next three-and-a-half years in a prison camp. Soon after the war, he became master of The Zetland in the East Lodge No. 508. The lodge was warranted by the United Grand Lodge of England in 1845 and is the oldest surviving Masonic lodge in Singapore. From 1956 to 1968, he served as elected Methodist Bishop for Southeast Asia, served as founding president of Trinity College in Singapore, and Methodist Bishop of Pakistan. Bishop Amstutz died on 26 February 1980, aged 83, in Claremont, Calif.

Engraving on reverse: “Presented to W. Bro. Hobart Amstutz in appreciation of his valuable and efficient services as W.M. 1948-1949.

8

Past Master’s Jewel
Excelsior Lodge No. 166
San Francisco, CA, 1866
Brass
Acc# 106.

This Past Master Jewel from Excelsior Lodge No. 166 are unusual in both size and how they are worn – suspended from a ribbon and worn around the neck. They recall an era when jewels were regarded as regalia much like lodge officer jewels rather than as personal jewelry. These would have been worn only in lodge during degrees or ceremonial occasions.

Engraving on reverse: ”Presented to P.M. Bro. Theodore E. Smith by the members of Excelsior Lodge No. 166 F.&.A.M. Dec. 26th A.L. 5866”

9

Past Grand Master’s Jewel
Grand Lodge of the Philippines
Manila, Philippines, 1949
Gold, pink silk
Acc# 99.1F.7

The Grand Lodge of the Philippine Islands was formed in 1912 by three American lodges: Manila 342, Cavite 350, and Corregidor 386, all chartered by the Grand Lodge of California. The two Grand Lodges have maintained a close relationship for over a century. Grand Master Albert J. Brazee, Jr. was made a Mason in Cosmos Lodge No. 8 of the Philippines and affiliated with Paul Revere Lodge No. 462 in San Francisco in 1936. He became Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the Philippines in 1948. His Past Master jewel from the Philippines features the same Past Master symbol as that used in California.

Engraving on reverse: “Presented by the Grand Lodge F.&A.M. of the Philippine Islands to MW Bro. A.J. Brazee Jr, Grand Master, 1948-1949.”

Past Master’s Jewel
Ancient Landmark Lodge
Shanghai, China, 1916
Gold, enamel, silk
Acc# 2022.7.1

10

Ancient Landmark Lodge was the first lodge of American Freemasonry established in China. The Lodge was granted a dispensation in 1864, under the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts as the majority of charter members were merchants from Boston. The lodge lasted for over 85 years until the Communist Party outlawed the practice of Freemasonry in China in 1949 – 1951.

Engraving: “Presented to Wor. Bro. Paul Kohn, WM, 1916. Ancient Landmark Lodge , Shanghai, China.”

11

Past Master’s Jewel
Excelsior Lodge No. 166
San Francisco, CA, 1900
Gold, diamonds, blue silk
Acc# 2001.29

This Past Master jewel belonged to Charles Albert Adams, one of the most active members of the Grand Lodge of California in the first half of the 20th century. Raised as a Master Mason in Excelsior Lodge No. 166 in 1901, Adams served as Master of his lodge in 1908, the same year he served as Grand Lodge Junior Warden. He was elected Grand Master of California in 1919, was active in Grand Lodge Committees throughout his life, and gave years of professional service to the Masonic Homes as trustee. He is best known as the founder of Public Schools Week becoming chairman of the Public Schools committee in 1929 and holding that office until 1949.

Engraving on reverse: “Presented to Charles Albert Adams PM, by Excelsior Lodge No. 166 Dec. 29, 1900”

12

In contrast to the elaborate jewels from the Victorian era of the late 19th century, these two Past Master jewels from Parnassus Lodge No. 388 and Jewel Lodge No. 374 produced in the 1920s are small, understated, and have a simple design.

Left
Past Master’s Jewel
Jewel Lodge No. 374
San Francisco, CA, 1923
Gold, diamond
Acc# 2022.6.1

Engraving on reverse: “Lou H. Silberman PM from Jewel Lodge No. 374 F&AM, Dec. 13, 1923.”

Right
Past Master’s Jewel
Parnassus Lodge No. 388
San Francisco, CA, 1919
Gold, silver
Acc# 91.50.

Engraving on reverse: ” Horace R. Spaulding, WM, 1919.”

13

Past Masters usually serve their lodge in the capacity of Master only once. However, some members take on the Master’s chair repeatedly. George Lewis True was raised in Ophir Lodge No. 33 in 1869. Over the course of the next twenty -six years, he was Master of the lodge nine times, 1875-1880, 1884, 1887, 1890, and 1895. George Graves was the Deputy Sheriff of San Andreas, CA and was the master of two lodges: Campo Seco Lodge No. 100 from 1886-1888, and Calaveras Lodge No. 78 in 1897 and 1898.

Left
Past Master’s Jewel
Ophir Lodge No. 33
Murphys, CA, 1901
Gold, enamel, red gem stone
Acc# 79.1.1

Engraving on reverse: “Presented by members of Ophir Lodge No. 33, F.&A.M., Murphys, Cal., 1901”

Right
Past Master’s Jewel
Calaveras Lodge No. 78
San Andreas, CA, 1898
Gold, green silk
Acc# 85.15.1

Engraving on reverse: “George C. Graves P.M. Calaveras Lodge #78 F. and A.M. From Brethren Dec. 24th, 1898.”

14

Prior to the founding of the Grand Lodge of Hawaii in 1989, Hawaiian lodges were under the jurisdication of the Grand Lodge of California. Kilauea Lodge No. 330 on the island of Hawaii was founded in 1897. The Past Master Jewels used by Lodge No. 330 incorporate an inverted square and sun at center, combining the Scottish and American forms of the jewel. This style is usually reserved for the Grand Master jewel in California. Robert Moore was a charter member and the first Master of Kilauea Lodge in 1897 and 1898. He was originally a member of Hawaiian Lodge No. 21 and was Master of that lodge in 1884-1885. Hermann William Ludloff was raised in Kilauea Lodge No. 330 in 1907. He was Master of the lodge 1913-1914.

Left
Past Master’s Jewel
Kilauea Lodge No. 330
Hilo, HI, 1898
Gold, silk
Acc# 2022.4.1

Engraving on reverse: “Presented to Bro. Robert Moore, Past Master by the members of Kilauea Lodge No. 330 AF& AM at Hilo, Hawaii AD 1898, AL 5898.”

Right
Past Master’s Jewel
Kilauea Lodge No. 330
Hilo, HI, 1914
Gold, silk
Acc# 2022.4.2

“H.W. Ludloff, 1914.”

15

The Past Master Jewel and watch fob were gifts to Charles Goff from his lodge and his colleagues in the San Francisco Police Department. Goff was a bit of a legend in his own time, often depicted in San Francisco newspapers as the model of a courageous policeman. He originally found fame as a professional prize fighter beating Geoffrey Thorne, an English Middleweight Champion in 1899. As a San Francisco police officer soon after the 1906 earthquake, he single-handedly arrested five looters, three of them escaped convicts. He became a captain of the SFPD and was later appointed the Chief Federal Prohibition Enforcement Officer for all of California in the 1930s. Raised in Parnassus Lodge No. 388 in 1911, he became Master of the lodge in 1924, and Grand Marshall of the Grand Lodge of California in 1939.

Left
Parnassus Lodge No. 388
San Francisco, CA, 1923
Gold, silver, diamond
Acc# 99.3.4

No engraving

Right
Past Master’s Jewel Watch Fob
Parnassus Lodge No. 388
San Francisco, CA, 1925
Gold, diamond
Acc# 99.3.2A

Engraved on front: “Chas. Goff, PM Parnassus Lodge 388.”

Engraving on reverse:
“Presented to Charles Goff, Dec. 18, 1923,
Parnassus Lodge No. 388 F.& A.M.”

16

These two forms of Past Master jewels were made as a set for Edward Colberg of America Lodge No. 3368 in 1929. The smaller jewel is intended to be worn as a lapel pin, while the larger jewel is worn on the breast of a jacket. The use of a set of jewels for a Past Master is unusual and illustrates the variety of ways that Past Master jewels have been used to honor their receipients.

Left
Past Master Jewel
America Lodge No. 3368
London, England, 1929
gold, enamel, silk
Acc# 88.88.3

Engraving on reverse: “To W. Bro. Edward Joseph Colberg, P.M. With Affection and Esteem from the Lodge”

Right
Past Master Jewel Stickpin
America Lodge No. 3368
London, England, 1929
gold, enamel, silk
Acc# 88.88.1

Engraving on reverse: ” Presented to W. Bro. Ed Colberg WM 1928-29″

17

In the late 19th and early years of the 20th century, pocket watches were very popular and were usually worn with vest chains ornamented with a variety of charms or fobs. These three Past Master watch fobs are miniature Past Master Jewels attached to black ribbons that were worn on the outside of a watch pocket located on the top right-hand side of a man’s trousers. The fobs were often highly ornamented with precious stones, diamonds, and gold.

Left
Past Master’s Jewel Watch Fob
Tehama Lodge No. 3
Sacramento, CA, 1909
Gold, black silk
Acc# 96.19B

Engraving on reverse: ” Louis Geiger PM Tehama Lodge No. 3, F.&A.M. 1909.”

Center
Past Master’s Jewel Watch Fob
Los Angeles Lodge No. 42
Los Angeles, CA, 1907
Gold, diamond, enamel, black silk
Acc# 2000.7.1

No engraving

Right
Past Master’s Jewel Watch Fob
Concord Lodge No. 117
Concord, CA, 1920
Gold, black silk, enamel
Acc# 90.34A

Engraving on reverse: ” Pres. to Alfred B. Oldfield, Master Concord Lodge 117 A. & F.M., 1920.”

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

© 2024 Henry Wilson Coil Library & Museum of Freemasonry. All right reserved.