bill Posted February 5, 2006 Report Share Posted February 5, 2006 A Woodmen of the World Coin Test recent acquistion (along with several others). The obverse of this aluminum token features the founder of WOW, Joseph Cullen Root. WOW is a fraternal association much like the Masons, Odd Fellows, Elks, etc, complete with secret rituals. The reverse features the stump left by the woodman, along with a maul, axe, and wedge. The Latin inscription, DUM TACET CLAMAT, reads "though silent, he speaks. WOW was founded in 1890 in Omaha and continues today through a life insurance corporation. Coin Test refers to an organizational ceremony of introduction. Initiates were subjected to a ritual wherein they present a coin as evidence of their desire to be admited. Near the end of the ceremony, the secret rituals and signs are revealed and their coin is returned. This coin is one of the secret items, signs, etc. that reveal the initiate as a woodman of the world. I do not know the date of these tokens, but I suspect they date to the 1910 to 1920 period. I'd love to learn more (and correct anything here tha's wrong). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccg Posted February 5, 2006 Report Share Posted February 5, 2006 Neat. I always found masonic stuff to be one of the odd sides of exonumia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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