Boy Scout Swastika Medal

[jsu]

Finally got out today. I have not found much lately so this was nice. I went to detect an old boy scout camp that I`ve found a few wheaties at. Did not find much , a few shotgun shells and a rusted pocket knife. Then I found this medal. I thought it was a half dollar at first then I saw a swastika on it and thought it was some German money. When I got back I cleaned it up and it says membership emblem of the boy scout club, good luck on the back and manufactured by the excelsior shoe company on the front. Its got to be Pre WWII. Like I said before I have not found much lately. Thanks for looking. Jeff

 

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[Gilligan]

I found one like that from an insurance company. Good finds.

 

[Old Dog]

Actually I think the German one has legs that point the other direction.
I have no reference except memory so I may be wrong.

Thom

 

[romeo-1]

Cool find...swastika is a symbol of good luck.

 

[Old Dog]

In some Native American cultures it is a fertility symbol.

 

[Mackaydon]

The swastika was used as an early symbol by the British Boy Scouts and others. Its earliest use in Scouting was on the Thanks Badge introduced in 1911.[46] Lord Baden-Powell's 1922 design for the Medal of Merit added a swastika to the Scout fleur-de-lis to symbolize good luck for the recipient. Like Rudyard Kipling, he would have come across this symbol in India. In 1934, Scouters requested a change to the design because of the later use of the swastika by the National Socialist German Workers Party. A new British Medal of Merit was issued in 1935.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scouting

And from the founder of the Boy Scouts:
" ... as you know from the account of the Swastika Thanks Badge which I have given to you in Scouting for Boys, the symbol was used in almost every part of the world in ancient days and therefore has various meanings given to it.
"Anyway, what ever the origin was, the Swastika now stands for the badge of fellowship among Scouts all over the world, and when anyone has done a kindness to a Scout it is their privilege to present him or her with this token of their gratitude, which makes him a sort of member of the Brotherhood, and entitles him to the help of any other Scout at any time and at any place.
"I want specially to remind Scouts to keep their eyes open and never fail to spot anyone wearing this badge. It is their duty then to go up to such a person, make the scout sign, and ask if they can be of service to the wearer."
Robert Baden-Powell.
From What Scouts Can Do - More Yarns - Baden-Powell, 1921

 

[Az Old Noob]

In some Native American cultures it is a fertility symbol.

That could put an interesting spin on the medal.
Scoutmaster: "Here's your fertility symbol. Good luck."
Scout: "Thank you, Sir. Uhm, which way to the Girl Scout camp?"

 

[kimsdad]

That medal is bodacious!!! A real oldie!!!

 

[CowboyKolo]

I found a good luck token similar to that one, made of copper bout the size of a large cent I guess (s I've never had one, Im basing that opinion on photos of them I've seen) Had a horseshoe, shamrock, and a couple of other "lucky" symbols on it. Found it outside a home I was permitted to detect.

The owner asked me how much it was worth, and I prtty much told him
whatever he was willing to offer. So, I gave it to him after he said He'd show me some fields where the homesteads from the 1880's were that he owned. Now I just need to find the time and money to get back to that small town and take him up on it! If I remember right, he even said a couple of em still have some of the original structure still standing. Can't wait for those crops to get pulled in

 

[Burdie]

That is a great find it would be 20's or 30's

Burdie

 

[jsu]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I can`t wait for fall for the overgrowth to die down, so I can really hit this place hard I know there`s some silver down there. When we were down there before we found a rather large copperhead coiled under a log. That kind of makes you skiddish.

 

[Old Fart in TN]

Great find!

 

[Possumguts]

Here's one that I found, it is dated July 1910