With the price of gas and the cost of coins from Europe when paying with dollars, I've started two new topics to occupy my collecting fever.

The Massachusetts Bay Tercentenary was celebrated in 1930 across the state with a variety of exonumia. The organizers hoped for a commemorative half dollar, but I suspect the Pilgrim half issued ten years earlier made that goal a long shot. At the end of 1930, Shepard Pond collected the various medals and tokens issued over the year to form a representative collection viewed as the state commission closed its books. Pond went on to publish a list of the items in the June 1931 Numismatist followed by updates over the next two years. The ANA brought the various articles together into a reprint. I am using Pond as my guide for collecting the items, although I am ruling out some athletic badges and an encased cent. I will post the items here as I build the collection.

Pond 1
68 mm x 90 mm
Bronze (also plated in gold and silver)
Struck by Robbins Co., Attleboro, MA



I'm showing as my obverse what Pond calls the reverse of the medal. I know one could debate the issue, but I think of the image side as the obverse and the text side as the reverse in this case. The tercentenary final report described the medal as I do.

Obverse: A symbolic scene of the historic development of New England. First Bay Colony Governor John Winthrop appears in the bottom center with the charter and great book below.. To the left is an Indian family with a child. A stagecoach winds its way along a road, with a sailing ship on the sea in the distance. In the far distance, one can see smoke stacks, a city skyline, and an airplane. To the right is a Puritan family with child and ships sailing upriver towards the woodland and the setting sun. Bunker Hill Monument can just be seen. A witch flys across the full moon. The emblems in the four corners are the Liberty Tree, the don't-tread-on-me rattlesnake, the arm and sword from the state seal, and the ancient notary seal of a stag's head.

Reverse: The emblem adopted by the citizen's organizations sponsoring the tercentenary showing the codfish. The inscription reads THE PRINCIPLES PLANTED HERE BY THE PURITANS IN 1630 ROOTED FREE GOVERNMENT ON THIS CONTINENT. THEN AND THERE THE EXISTENCE AND CHARACTER OF THE FUTURE UNITED STATES WERE ASSURED.

The edge is stamped ROBBINS CO. / ATTLEBORO. REG. U.S. / PAT. OFF

The medal sold for $5 in rose gold, $4 in silver, and $3 in bronze. It came with a booklet which I have not seen.

A larger image.

Pond 3
Gilt Bronze, 33 mm
Cammall Badge Co.
Mass Produced



Pond 4
Gilt Bronze, 32 mm
Cammall Badge Co.
Mass Produced



Two generic souvenir medals sold through out the state.

Common obverse: A sailing ship, the Arbella, with the head of a Puritan below (Gov. Winthrop). MASSACHUSETTS TERCENTENARY / 1630 - 1930.

First reverse: Indian in a canoe gazing at radio towers and an airplane. TERCENETENARY SOUVENIR / 1630 - 1930.

Second reverse: A representation of the Massacusetts state seal with a codfish below. TERCENTENARY SOUVENIR / 1630 - 1930.

Pond 5
Bronze, 32 mm
Cammall Badge Co.
3500 struck



Obverse: Settler's house, MACY - COLBY HOUSE / BUILT 1654. The surround inscription: MASSACHUSETTS BAY TERCENTENARY / 1630 AMESBURY 1930.

Reverse: The Indian in canoe reverse from the generic state medal.

The Macy - Colby house was the homestead of Thomas Macy whose flight to Nantuket is described in Whittier's poem, The Exiles. He sold it to Anthony Colby and his descendant, Moses Colby, sold it to the Bartlett Cemetary Association. In 1930, it housed a chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Wow. Great additions. I hope the new area treats you well! I may foray into hammereds (thanks, clive.....) and ancients if American coins/notes become too costly.

I really like the rectangular medal, very well designed and manufactured.

It feels good in hand as well. It is 5 mm thick and weighs about 8 ounces, so it has a nice heft. I have one other of this size that I am awaiting delivery. Its made by the same company and I believe it is as nice from the photographs.

Pond 12
Gilt Bronze, 32 mm
Whitehead & Hoag Co.
Mass Produced



Pond 13
Gilt Bronze, 32 mm
Whitehead & Hoag Co.
Mass Produced



Two generic medals sold throughout Massachusetts during 1930. These are the two most common medals encountered.

Common obverse: Puritan male facing right with a map of Massachusetts behind. MASSACHUSETTS BAY / TERCENTENARY / IN NEW / ENGLAND / 1630 / 1930.

First Reverse: Codfish facing right with the legend: SOUVENIR / MASSACHUSETTS / BAY / TERCENTENARY / IN NEW ENGLAND / 1630 - 1930.

Second Reverse: Codfish facing right with a spinning wheel in a shield below. SOUVENIR 1630 1930.

On the first medal obverse, note the circular die-crack that extends about three quarters of the way around the medal.

Pond 15
White Metal with oxidized silver finish, 30 mm.
Whitehead and Hoag Co.
20,000 struck



Obverse: Image of a balance beam, standing man, girl on one scale tray, pile of coins on the other, microscopic copyright 1930 BHS. Outer ring reads, TERCENTENARY OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY COLONY / 1630 - 1930. The legend reads, JOHN HULL / FIRST MINT MASTER / HIS DAUGHTER'S DOWRY / WAS HER WEIGHT IN / PINE TREE SHILLINGS. Microscopic mark, W & H CO along the rim.

Reverse: Reproduction of the Pine Tree schilling.

Pond believes these were the first souvenirs struck for the tercentenary. The Bourne Historical Society sold the medals to raise funds for the Trading Post Endowment Fund. The original Plymouth Colony Aptucxet Trading Post was built in 1627. The historical society maintained a replica of the trading post.

As legend goes, John Hull paid his daughter's dowry with her weight in the Pine Tree shillings that he produced in the early mint.

The Puritan medal with codfish reverse first attracted me to this series, but it was the Pine Tree shilling medals that convinced me to concentrate on the topic.

Pond 26
Tumbled nickel finish, 30 mm
Whitehead & Hoag Co.
22,000 struck



Obverse: The seal of Worcester, WORCESTER'S / CELEBRATION / OF MASSACHUSETTS / BAY / TERCENTENARY.

Reverse: Pine Tree shilling copy.

Pond notes these were said to be widely distributed to school children.

MASATHVSETS! Way cool, Bill!

Pond 7
Gilt Bronze, 32 mm
Cammall Badge Co.
5000 Struck



No longer gilt, this medal appears as if it were buried or suffered some other similar fate.

Obv: As earlier examples.

Rev: Lighthouse with out buildings, BREWSTER / NANASCOT. Outer ring reads, TOWN OF HULL, PLYMOUTH COUNTY / MAY 29, 1644.

Nanascot refers to the Indian district that preceded European occupation.

Acquired a better specimen:

Pond 28
Silvered white metal, 28 mm
Robbins Co.
10,000 Struck



The official medal of the Tercentenary Conference of City and Town Committees, design adopted on May 8, 1930. The intent was for the medal to be produced in massachusetts and be widely available. While the general design was used for medals struck by Whitehead and Hoag, the Conference medal was struck by Robbins Co., a Massachusetts firm.

Obv: View of Indians greeting Pilgrims with the legend, PURITAN GOVERNOR WINTHROP / AND INDIAN CHIEF / CHICKATABOT EX- / CHANGE TOKEN / OF GOOD WILL. Above, in microscopic lettering, is the notation, 1930 T.C.O.C. & T. C. INC. The outer ring reads, MASSACHUSETTS BAR TERCENTENARY / 1630 -1930.
REv: Copy of a Pine Tree Shilling with the microscopic mark, ROBBINS CO. ATTLEBORO, MASS.

Pond 2
Bronze, 54 x 85 mm
Robbins Co.
1000 Struck, 1 gold



Governor's presentation medal, also struck by Robbins Co., Attleboro, MA.

Obverse: Shield centered, topped by torch with a bust of GOV. JOHN WINTHROP. To the left a standing Indian with bow, to the right three ships standing in shore. Below, MASSACHUSETTS BAY COLONY / 1630 TERCENTENARY 1930.

Reverse: The original state house and the modern state house with the arms of Massachusetts below to the left. The inscription reads, PRESENTED BY HIS EXCELLENCY FRANK G. ALLEN / GOVERNOR OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS IN / OBSERVANCE OF THE THREE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY / OF THE FOUNDING OF THE MASSACHUSETTS BAY COLONY / AND THE ESTABLISHMENTOF CIVIL GOVERNMENT THROUGH / THE TRANSFER OF THE ROYAL CHARTER FROM ENGLAND.

Larger image.

VERY nice additions, so many varieties too! I'm loving the Pond 1, unusual shape yet skilfully made! Many thanks for sharing!






You're most welcome George!

Hi Bill
I began a metal detecting hobby last year and found one of these coins on the banks of the Merimac river downstream of the town of Amesbury, in the city of Haverhill. The coin is severely worn on the reverse and the obverse looks almost sand blasted, but recognizable . No doubt from 70 plus years of water driven sandy silt. It's nice to see what this coin should look like. Thanks for the post

Pond 8
Bronze, 32 mm
Cammall Badge Co.
3000 Struck

Pond 34
Bronze, 101 mm
Medallic Art Co.
Approximately 200 struck to private account



Laura Gardin Fraser designed this medal for a private account, struck by the Medallic Art Co. It is the rarest, most expensive piece of the collecting subject and popular outside the specific topic for collectors of Fraser medals. I was fortunate to find such a nice example.

A trio of Boston medals.

Boston Tercentenary Committee
Pond 27
Whie Metal, 28 mm
Robbins Co.
About 2000 struck



Mayor's Medal, City of Boston (small)
Pond 44
Bronze, 24 mm
Robbins Co.
About 2000 struck



City of Boston, Mayor's medal, Costume Ball
Pond II.4.H
Bronze, 28 mm

Pond 50
Bronze, 32 mm
Whitehead and Hoag Co.
2000 struck



Foxborough medal. The image inside the wreath of wheat is the image of a colonial homestead, a wellsweep, smokehouse, and shicks of grain.

Pond 19
Bronze, 32 mm
Whitehead and Hoag Co.
5000 struck



Haverhill commemorative. The birthplace of John Greenleaf Whittier, a famous New England poet, was built in 1688 by his ancestor, Thomas Whittier. The home has been maintained as a museum since 1835. This particular example has an original ribbon attached.

It is not in Pond and many do not collect celluloid buttons, but I've included this piece in my collection:

Pond 14
White Metal, 30 mm.
Whitehead and Hoag Co.
2500 struck



The Washington Oak in Billerica was supposedly the location of a spot where General Washington rested during the Revolutionary War. There are no records to support the story one way or the other.

Pond 65
Gilt Bronze, 19 mm.
Schwaab Stamp and Seal Co.
4000 struck



Lord's Prayer token.

Brass pinback produced by Whitehead and Hoag. Unlisted in Pond.