Two Headed Eagle Widow Pin ID Help

[Wade]

Is this pin a Masonic item? Does it have any value? Are the stones real diamonds?

[wm5806]

Is this pin a Masonic item? Does it have any value? Are the stones real diamonds?

Hi Wade

Looks almost certainly Masonic to me, but I'm a Brit and our insignia is slightly different, although I have never seen one of these before now (US or British).

Not sure about the stones, although would have thought it unlikely that they were real diamonds. Check the back of the pin for marks - if it is not gold, then it would seem unlikely that they would go to the expense of using real diamonds in a silver or electroplated item (IMHO).

What does everyone else think?

As a corollary to the question, the higher degrees (30 - 33 degree) in 'Rose Croix' in Britain are organised a great deal differently to the 'Scottish Rite' on your side of the Atlantic (from what I have read). In Britain, when a member joins, he is awarded the degrees 4-17 in name only, effectively becoming 18th degree straight away. Before being considered for the 30th degree, he must have been Most Wise Sovereign in the Chapter and subsequent degrees are awarded on merit: 31st degree not that unusual, but 32nd degree rare and 33rd degree only really awarded to the Grand Rulers (as I understand it - I am not a member of the Rose Croix degree). Conversely, in the US Scottish Rite, I understand that progression to some of the higher degrees is quite different? Perhaps someone with experience of the US system could enlighten us?

Kind regards

WM5806 (now IPM)

[Mike Dwyer]

These are fairly cheap readily available pins here in the USA. I have one exactly like it except the bottom piece states "Life Member" on it. I have another that has "25 Year Member" on the bottom piece. I also have another that doesn't have the bottom piece at all which is given to every new Scottish Rite Mason in my home Consistory.

I doubt the diamonds are real because I believe they sell for around $5.00.

As for how the USA does the Scottish Rite, I can only speak from personal experience here in the Southern Jurisdiction. When my father and I joined the SR in Georgia back in 1977 it took two weekends to go from the 4th through the 32nd degree. Not all of the degrees were acted out, some were only read to us. Each weekend consisted of Friday evening and all day on Saturday. There was a large group of candidates and one would be selected to be the representative candidate for each degree while the others watched.

I recently attended a degree weekend where I live now in Florida and it was all done on one Saturday.

Edited November 13, 2006 by Mike Dwyer