1878 Fraternal Society Ring

Hello everyone,

I recently found an antique 18k gold ring that once belonged to a member of a fraternal society, namely, the Temple of Honor and Temperance (T. of H.). My understanding is that the society spun off from the Sons of Temperance in 1845 and was active until the early 1900s. The ring is apparently from 1878 and has several engravings on the inside and outside of the band. I'm hoping to obtain additional information or suggestions for research. Thank you for any assistance offered.

 

Great ring Angel- anytime you've got a combo of 18K and Victorian Fraternal you've got a winner !
May I ask how you found it ?

 

Hi, Bosko. Thank you for your response. I found the ring while shallow-water detecting in a pond that used to have a beach frequented by the local community until the mid-1900s.

 

Free's a good price. Are the detectors sensitive enough to ID gold now ?
***Love to know how much it weighs.

 

What a find,very cool and interesting ring..

 

Just being 'petty' here but the only things that could make this superb find better is for it to be Masonic (larger, wealthier customer-base), and a little extra 'bling' (precious stones & primo Victorian enameling).
* But hey-digging something like this up would def make my year, and make friends and family sick of hearing the story !

 

All metal detectors can detect gold, but they do not identify the target as gold specifically. I do wish they would only detect gold and silver while being completely silent when the coil goes over other types of metals. As it is, the machine will generally sound off on any metal, leaving the detectorist to decide whether to dig or not. On land, an experienced detectorist can often assess whether a target is worth the effort to dig, but when detecting in shallow water, it is always advisable to dig up anything that the machine reacts to.

This particular ring weighs 6.24 grams.

 

I'd say that was worth digging!

 

Yeah, that may be true, but the Temple of Honor and Temperance (T. of H.) was probably dissolved by the 1920s-1930s, perhaps adding greater rarity to this ring. I've dug up Masonic rings as well, but this particular fraternal ring may be the best one I've found.

 

And where is the "pond that used to have a beach frequented by the local community until the mid-1900s."

Debora

 

Metal detectorists do not reveal their sites. There is no longer a beach to speak of; it is all overgrown with weeds, and the bottom has a layer of silt over the once-existing sandy beach.

 

OK....how about which state ?
It's not like we'll all grab our equipment and rush down there.........

 

Nice find !!!!!!

 

I respect that but... If we had the general area, we might be able to identify the original owner of your ring. Or, at least, the local chapter of the fraternal society. If that's not the type of assistance you were asking us for in your initial post, what is?

Debora

 

I'm hoping to obtain additional information or suggestions for research

well , then......help us , to help you !!

 

I should add that this is an international forum and it's unlikely that anyone would be able to provide assistance without even knowing what continent your ring was found on.

Debora

 

Good point. I did neglect to consider that this board is international. I am from the U.S.A., the East Coast. As far as the chapter, I do believe that I have narrowed it down to the Massasoit Temple of Honor, No. 46, or the Hope Temple of Honor chapters, both from the New England area. Given the engraving of the clasped hands and the word "Hope," I'm leaning more toward the Hope Temple of Honor chapter. The ring has what I believe are the initials of the ring's original owner, but I haven't found anything that would lead me to identify the member's name.

 

Not to put words in Debora's mouth- but she has superb skills and may, thru investigation of the inscriptions on the interior of your band, be able to actually nail down the identity of the lodge member it belonged to.
Seen it happen.

 

Aw, sucks.

Debora

 

These two resources come to mind for additional research: 1) local historical societies, 2) local libraries for period city directories and local newspaper archives. In historical terms 1878 was yesterday; it shouldn't be too hard to find information about both groups.

Debora