Centenary Jewels

[wm5806]

The United Grand Lodge of England proposed a regulation design for Centenary jewels in the 1860s. Hitherto, Lodges had been allowed to design and, if approved, wear their own centenary jewels.

The picture on the left is of the 'pre-regulation' centenary jewel for St John the Baptist Lodge (no. 39), founded in 1732 - and still meeting in Exeter today - and that on the right is the 'new' design to be worn by all Lodges apart from from those previously granted permission to wear their own design jewels.

Hopefully, if enough interest, more of the pre-regulation designs to follow.

WM5806

[attachmentid=26695] [attachmentid=26696]

[wm5806]

And another...

This time for the Burlington Lodge (No.96), constituted on 2nd December 1756 at the Rising Sun, Air Street, Piccadilly, as No. 217 but not named until 1776. The Lodge celebrated its centenary 10 months too early, on 12th February 1856, according to Lane's 'Centenary Jewels and Warrants'.

According to a recent yearbook (2000), the Lodge is still extant and meets elsewhere, but still still in London.

WM5806

[attachmentid=26818]

[Humber]

When a lodge can demonstrate one hundred years of continuous working it can apply for a 'centenary warrant' and its members are allowed to wear a centenary jewel. A decorative bar is available for bicentenaries.

The earliest jewels were different for each lodge, but in 1865 a standard pattern was established featuring a snake biting its tail, symbolic of eternity, combined with a rope knot without an end and 'C' the Latin letter for 100 all within a sky blue border with the name of the Lodge. There have only been one or two variants to this jewel since the 1860s.

[wm5806]

Welcome to the forum Humber,

Thank you for your contribution and you are absolutely correct.

Although I do not know the background to this jewel, it was obviously produced after the 1865 Regulation and too late t be included in Lane's book.

Perhaps someone can shed some light on it?

WM5806

[attachmentid=26903]

Edited February 10, 2006 by wm5806

[AllanS]

I think that this is an 'Unauthorised' or unofficial jewel. I believe that Lodge of Industry and Perseverance No.109 meeting in London and formerly in Calcutta had some Centenary jewels made to their own design. These were not approved by Grand Lodge and they were subsequently used as PM jewels with the recipients' names and years of office engraved on the rim of the jewels.

[wm5806]

I think that this is an 'Unauthorised' or unofficial jewel. I believe that Lodge of Industry and Perseverance No.109 meeting in London and formerly in Calcutta had some Centenary jewels made to their own design. These were not approved by Grand Lodge and they were subsequently used as PM jewels with the recipients' names and years of office engraved on the rim of the jewels.

According to Lane's 'Centenary Warrants and Jewels' (1891), the Lodge of Industry and Perseverance never celebrated it's centenary - which would fit with what you say. There is a foot-note on p.48 which says that

"A Special Jewel was granted by the M. W. G. M. at this late period on account of peculiar circumstances - the Lodge being "Foreign" - but not until after three separate applications; the last having been made by the Dep. Dist. G. M."

So they may have received their permission in the end, but you are right that it was an unauthorised one, at least initially. I have included the line-drawing of the jewel from Lane's book in this post (below).

I have seen enamelled versions of this, although the examples used as PM jewels in the Museum of Freemasonry at GQS are not enamelled. Does that indicate the former were re-strikes, produced much later?

[attachmentid=27097]

[wm5806]

Here's a 1915 re-strike of the pre-regulation Centenary jewel from Lodge Star in the East (No. 67) of Calcutta, Bengal. Constituted in 1740, it was placed on the register in December 1747 and named in 1770. The original jewels were produced around 1855, having the Lodge's then number of 80, but was re-numbered in 1863 to its present number of 67.

A re-strike was issued between 1855 and 1890 which can be identified by the inscription:

Original: "Lodge Star in the East. No.80, June 1740."

Restrike #1: "Lodge Star in the East. No.67, 1740." (no "June")

This later re-strike can be dated so precisely due to the hallmark on the reverse.

WM5806

[attachmentid=27290]

[wm5806]

And another....

This is a very early re-strike of the pre-regulation centenary jewel for St George's Lodge (112), founded in 1762, which celebrated its centenary in 1862.

The hallmarks are for 1866, making it an early re-strike, but still very desirable.

[attachmentid=27512]