✅ SOLVED Help needed from the experts

[Joshr29]

I found this a while back and was wondering what y'all thought about it. Thanks everyone.

 

[Joshr29]

Yep. I'm ******ed. These may help y'all.

 

[kuger]

....its a pin,that would have other "boards",hanging from it...and its COOL!!

 

[Joshr29]

Thanks a lot. I really do search myself but I have terrible Internet skills. Plus all of y'all know way more about this stuff than me. Thanks again.

 

[duggap]

I am not an expert, but I was thinking maybe it was from a Confederate reunion badge. Texas would have probably represented the state the reunion was held. The main part of the badge hung under neath. Just my guess. Regards

 

[kuger]

.................I am no expert either!!!!They will be a long though!!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

It does appear to be the upper component of what is called a Ladder Badge. That type of "insignia" was popular with latter-1800s-through-early-1900s Fraternal Organizations and Veterans Organziations. To see several varieties of yankee veterans' Ladder Badges, go here: Yankee Ladder Badges - Civil War Units - VETERANS' ORGANIZATIONS - U.S. Militaria Forum

 

[Viminacium]

Lets see... "Texas"... That could mean this thing is from Texas

 

[Joseph Gilbert]

I found this a while back and was wondering what y'all thought about it. Thanks everyone.

Confederate Texas unit boards! Possible BANNER find dude

 

[Gunrunner61]

A neat find for sure. If it is a Texas unit board that would be cool...............HH

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Sorry to have to disappoint y'all, but it absolutely is not a "unit badge." It very clearly has two little loops for suspending another rung of a ladder-badge below it. Civil war unit badges which showed the state's name were "solitary" -- they had no provision for attaching something below them. Joshr29's find is definitely part of a post-civil-war Fraternal or Veteran's ladder-badge.

 

[nhbenz]

Not military related at all. Odd Fellows, shown here an example from NY; http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&.....1ac.1.EG1E9hpOfY4#biv=i|0;d|Tk09oravTHaINM:

 

[kuger]

Sorry to have to disappoint y'all, but it absolutely is not a "unit badge." It very clearly has two little loops for suspending another rung of a ladder-badge below it. Civil war unit badges which showed the state's name were "solitary" -- they had no provision for attaching something below them. Joshr29's find is definitely part of a post-civil-war Fraternal or Veteran's ladder-badge.

"Ladder".......................I couldnt remember the name!!!I called em "Boards"....HA!!

 

[Joshr29]

Thanks so much everyone for the replies. I think Benz has put me on the right path. That first picture of your link matches the design of my texas one. I'm trying to contact the grand lodge of texas and see what they think. Again, thanks everyone.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Nhbenz nailed it specifically as a Fraternal ladder-badge's top section. Compare the one in the photo below with the one found by Joshr29, and you'll see that their overall shape is identical, including the two little loops on the bottom for suspending another section below the state-name section, and even the decorations at each end of both badges are identical.

Ladder-badges date from the latter-1800s into the 20th-Century. The IOOF letters on the star in the photo below stand for International (or Independent) Order of Odd Fellows, a fraternal organization.

 

[nhbenz]

Kansas (getting closer); Antique IOOF Odd Fellows Lodge Medal Kansas Past Grand 225 Pinback Ribbon Badge | eBay

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Because Ebay deletes photos 90 days after an auction is finished, for future visual reference here at TreasureNet I'm posting the Kansas IOOF fraternal ladder-badge photo from the Ebay auction which Nhbenz posted a link to.

Note that except for the state-name, the Kansas IOOF fraternal badge is identical to Joshr29's state-name badge, including the very same end-decorations and the two little loops on the bottom for suspending another section below the state-name section.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

green check

 

[Joshr29]

Well I would say that one is solved. Thanks a bunch to everyone who took time to research this. I have contacted the ioof and if they get back to me and know anything about it I will update everyone with an age on it. Or anything else cool about it. Thanks again everyone. Y'all are very knowledgeable.

 

[Joshr29]

It is confirmed from the I.O.O.F. Probably early 1900's. I'm donating it to them for one of their museums. Pretty cool ending. Would have never got close without all the help so one more time thanks a bunch guys. HH everyone.