Does anyone know what this medal is?

May 27, 2010 5:19 AM

A friend of mine found an old military medal in New Hampshire. It appears to be made of tin or some other light metal and handmade. The first part is a twig attached to a decoration, and the second part is arrows in a pouch. I put video on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlPqFhq6xdY . The audio is from Lost, which was playing when I did the video. Does anyone know what these medals are?
posted by nathanrudy to Society & Culture (4 answers total)

My first thought is that it's a medal from a benevolent society. There's one called Woodmen of the World but their thing seems to be axes. I have a recollection that there is a society that has a connection with the books of James Fenimore Cooper...
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:36 AM on May 27, 2010

Seconding fraternal/benevolent society -- I couldn't find any pictures of pins, but the Odd-Fellows (IOOF) uses bows, arrows, quivers, and sticks in the symbolism of their degrees. Are you sure they go together? The first thing I thought when I saw the log was Woodsmen, too.
posted by AzraelBrown at 5:47 AM on May 27, 2010

Nthing that they're probably from a fraternal/benevolent society... I immediately thought Woodmen of the World when I saw the first one too. (Woodmen membership used to include a death benefit that provided a big log or tree shaped tombstone.) There were tons of secret/fraternal societies around at end of the 19th century, though, each usually with its own borrowed symbolism/mythology. You might spend some time poking around current and past auctions on Ebay for phrases like 'fraternal medal' and see if you find any matches.
posted by usonian at 6:37 AM on May 27, 2010

Response by poster: Thanks, everyone. We appreciate it!
posted by nathanrudy at 6:03 AM on May 29, 2010