ID Needed - Secret Society Pin?

49r Relics · Oct 27, 2011

I found this pin yesterday (Wednesday - 10/26/2011) deep in an old San Francisco, CA park, at a level consistant with pre-WWII coins and relics. Found a 1909 V Nickel at around the same depth so I assume this has been buried for many decades. The back says "STER.PAT." and "1967965" or possibly no "1" on begining of the patent number so . . "967965". I am guessing masonic but have no clue. Any info would be sincerely appreciated! :icon_pirat:

HH, Mark

Front
Same size as a U.S. Quarter in circumfrence, depth is approx 3 U.S. Quarters stacked.

Rear with clip closed

Rear with clip open

Rich in Central PA · Oct 27, 2011

My guess is STER (for Sterling) PAT (for Patent) then the number so I'd say that denotes Sterling Silver with the Patent numbers on the pin.................Rich

Haven't figured out what the pin is yet...........Rich

Palmetto · Oct 27, 2011

Nice pin.
dont know for sure but a lot of Sororities use the owl as a symbol.

Palmetto

BosnMate · Oct 27, 2011

Not Masonic, perhaps Woodsmen of the World?

Mr Tuff · Oct 27, 2011

neat clip!!! MR TUFF

Mackaydon · Oct 27, 2011

Patent number applies to the clip (1934):

http://www.google.com/patents?id=l0...=gbs_selected_pages&cad=2#v=onepage&q&f=false

Don...

DownEastDetectorist · Oct 27, 2011

Here's a piece of 1940's jewelry with the same patent number http://www.rubylane.com/item/505587-JWL467l/Vintage-1940s-Aquamarine-Faceted-Crystal

49r Relics · Oct 28, 2011

Mackaydon said:
Patent number applies to the clip (1934):

http://www.google.com/patents?id=l0...=gbs_selected_pages&cad=2#v=onepage&q&f=false

Don...

That dates it right where I thought. Thanks!! :thumbsup:

Could also be a fraternity/sorority pin. Could just be an owl pin . . . but, the one element that makes me think it is a symbol is the fact that the owl is sitting on a crescent. The owls appears in countless secret societies and mythology.

On the dollar bill, they put it on a crescent shape

Also, look at the feet of the owl outline, a crescent

Like I said, I may be way off here but I have poor research skills :help:

Mark

worldtalker · Oct 28, 2011

Bohemian Grove

??

nsdq · Oct 28, 2011

Maltese falcon

lightwing33 · Oct 28, 2011

nice find but cnt tell you hmmmm

PikesPeakCharlie · Oct 28, 2011

Doesn't look Masonic to me ,buuuuuuuuut. Nice find Congrats :icon_thumleft:

WilliamBoyd · Oct 28, 2011

I don't think it has anything to do with a "secret society", but is a piece of jewelry.

I ran "Pin Owl Crescent moon" through a search engine and came up with
many similar decorative and jewelry items, some old, some modern.

savant365 · Oct 28, 2011

Very neat piece :thumbsup:

I looked through several images and websites and couldn't find anything similar. There are so many different meanings for owl and moon symbols I'm afraid this one is going to be hard to nail down. I'll keep looking, I like a good whatsit challenge.

HH Charlie

oxbowbarefoot · Oct 28, 2011

worldtalker said:
Bohemian Grove??

Looks like it to me. Especially if it was found in Cali.

savant365 · Oct 28, 2011

I can't tell from the picture, is there a symbol in that little circle under the owl?

DCMatt · Oct 28, 2011

It is not a pin. It is a ladies clip-on earring. My mother (76 years old - shhh!) has jewelry boxes full of them from the 50's, 60's, and 70's.

DCMatt

High Plains Digger · Oct 28, 2011

I was thinking about an earring also. But the piece with the writing needs to be longer to clip on, unless it is broken. As far as the owl, I think nice owl design and no secret membership. Unless it is to the Uniformed Ranks. KoP forever!

bogeymcq · Oct 28, 2011

Awesome find! :icon_thumleft:

Lady's clip on earring?

Now I really could be wrong but I don't think it is an earring, the way the clip shows I am seeing if it was clipped to the earlobe it would be clipped with the owl upside down :icon_scratch:

But I could be wrong :dontknow:

Tried to do a mini-search an I saw similar pin clips but they listed them as "fur clips" & if this pin is from the 30s-40s I could see it clipped to a fox shawl or something like that :wink:

Again awesome find! :thumbsup:

And I look forward to as you learn more we all are learing more

misplacedrednek · Oct 28, 2011

Bohemian grove came to mind but somebody already beat me to that guess. The only reason I've even heard of that is because I watch entirely too much history channel. Regardless of what it is, it's a sweet find, congrats!

Matt