A Penny for your Lodge

Among the ordinary pennies found at Charing Cross Market, something rather different can occasionally appear: a Masonic penny.

Despite their name, these pieces were not intended as everyday currency. They were ceremonial tokens associated with Freemasonry, often presented to members in recognition of their progress or as a symbolic “wage” for their work. Many carry Masonic emblems, lodge or chapter details and inscriptions drawn from ritual or scripture.

One of the best-known inscriptions is: “They received every man a penny.”

It explains why these pieces are sometimes called “every man” pennies. The examples pictured also display working tools and other Masonic symbols, giving each token its own distinctive design.

Some Masonic pennies date from the nineteenth century and can be considerably more valuable than the ordinary coins beside which they are sometimes found. Michael’s examples range in value from approximately £12 to £40.

One particularly interesting token names Excelsior Chapter No. 164, R.A.M., which was chartered on 3 February 1857 in Canandaigua, New York. The date records the chapter’s charter and does not necessarily indicate when the token itself was made.

They are an excellent reminder to look carefully through any mixed group of old pennies. What initially appears to be a common coin may instead be a small and intriguing piece of Masonic history.