Past Master - Blue Lodge - Sterling - 1952 Pennsylvania

This is a Blue Lodge Past Master Jewel from Jordan Lode 673 in Allen Town Pennsylvania.  It was presented to William F. Dillard in 1952.

This is a production jewel, but has some outrageous detailing.  Enameled eye, for one...

There are lot of working tools and symbols of the craft superimposed over an engraved background.

Engraved....

There are enameled pieces somewhat scattered, but nicely balanced.  The blue in the center hanging down is a visual representation of the Pythagorean theorem.  (Freemasons call this the 47th problem of Euclid, due to the fact that it is the 47th proposition in his book of elements.)  It is how you make a right angle.  That was an important skill for an operative mason and might have been a trade secret.

It came in a nice case and was manufactured by the William Lehmberg & Sons company of Philadelphia.  That makes sense for an Allentown lodge.  

I think it is sterling, but it is not marked.  It does show some strange tarnish patterns, but that might be caused by storing it in the case for 60 some years.  The air and moisture might have not been evenly distributed across the metal.  

But then again the background layer has no tarnish.... sort of a mystery, maybe two different metals?

This jewel is 7" by 4" and weighs 50 grams.  It is sterling (?).

relative amount I paid for this - low

As of 3/3/14 the silver scrap value works out to about $40

However, none of these are for sale.