Mystery pin
 

This pin was found by my cousin as he was going thru his mother's belongings after her death.

Some clues to the meaning of this can be found on this similar item at [URL="https://www.ebay.com/itm/Old-Silver-Lyre-R-High-School-Music-Group-Award-Pin-Badge-/173902458935"]ebay[/URL], but I'm not convinced that the description on ebay is correct.

The center symbol appears to be a yarovik, but I am not wholly convinced of that. She was born in the US, but her parents or grandparents might have originated from Moravia.

If anyone here has some thoughts as to the solution of this mystery I would appreciate it.

[QUOTE=rogue;560747]This pin was found by my cousin as he was going thru his mother's belongings after her death.

Some clues to the meaning of this can be found on this similar item at [URL="https://www.ebay.com/itm/Old-Silver-Lyre-R-High-School-Music-Group-Award-Pin-Badge-/173902458935"]ebay[/URL], but I'm not convinced that the description on ebay is correct.

The center symbol appears to be a yarovik, but I am not wholly convinced of that. She was born in the US, but her parents or grandparents might have originated from Moravia.

If anyone here has some thoughts as to the solution of this mystery I would appreciate it.[/QUOTE]Starting at the upper left, and proceeding clockwise around the perimeter, there are a number of objects with possibly symbolic meanings.

An oil lamp.
Lightning bolt (?)
Scales
Shield (escutcheon) with the letter R. This may signify a family.
Something I can't identify. It appears to have part of an ivy or vine trailing below it to the right, touching the shield.
An arm holding a torch

The center does look like a yarovik. The yarovik is a slavic symbol that symbolizes the preservation of wealth.

The shape (outline) of the pin might also be of some significance.

It occurred to me it might be a family coat-of-arms or something like it.

That eBay pin is strikingly similar. Tracking it down is surely the key. Is there a series of pins with different symbols in the front raised area?

They might be from the same school and the badge in the middle is for different clubs. That is supposed to be Lady Liberty on the lower left. Does yours have any markings on the back? It might be the person's initials. Both the ebay one and yours have R in the bottom. I bet that is the first letter of the school.

Cannot say about the origin. The badge could belong to a group, trade organization etc. It could just be for decorative purposes.

Oil lamp = Service
Lightning bolt= Illumination
Statue of Liberty = Liberty
Scale of Justice = Justice/Equality

The R and the yarowick, as well as "mother" may all together point to Randwick Girls school. They have similar pins, newer designs. The guy on ebay may know more, as he said something about "old design". Are initials on the back, of his mother? Went she there?

[QUOTE=Uncwilly;560787]They might be from the same school and the badge in the middle is for different clubs. That is supposed to be Lady Liberty on the lower left. Does yours have any markings on the back? It might be the person's initials. Both the ebay one and yours have R in the bottom. I bet that is the first letter of the school.[/QUOTE]

In that case, it couldn't be from Moravia. Neither our west neighbours nor we have the tradition of school rings, never had, AFAIK.

[QUOTE=LaurV;560803]The R and the yarowick, as well as "mother" may all together point to Randwick Girls school. They have similar pins, newer designs. The guy on ebay may know more, as he said something about "old design". Are initials on the back, of his mother? Went she there?[/QUOTE]

Absolutely not Randwick (assuming the one in Australia per google). She never lived more than a few miles from her birth place in Wisconsin.

No markings on the back of this pin and it appears to be made of a different material than the one on e-bay. I am looking to get confirmation of that.

AFAIK, she never went to any college and was a stay at home mom

[QUOTE=Viliam Furik;560804]In that case, it couldn't be from Moravia. Neither our west neighbours nor we have the tradition of school rings, never had, AFAIK.[/QUOTE]
It is a pin, like a broach, not a ring. And it looks to date prior to the 1960's (most likely prior to the 1940's).

[QUOTE=Citrix;560797]Cannot say about the origin. The badge could belong to a group, trade organization etc. It could just be for decorative purposes.

Oil lamp = Service
Lightning bolt= Illumination
Statue of Liberty = Liberty
Scale of Justice = Justice/Equality[/QUOTE]The oil lamp may also symbolize learning or education.

The lightning bolt may symbolize sudden realization, or sudden banishment of ignorance.

Balance scales -- justice, equality, etc as previously indicated.

R on shield (escutcheon) -- not sure

Arm with torch -- liberty

That unidentified thing between the shield and the arm holding the torch -- the part cut out from the upper right of it is symmetrical and its outline is sort of U-shaped. So it represents an [i]object[/i], but what that object is eludes me.

[QUOTE=Dr Sardonicus;560852]That unidentified thing between the shield and the arm holding the torch -- the part cut out from the upper right of it is symmetrical and its outline is sort of U-shaped. So it represents an [i]object[/i], but what that object is eludes me.[/QUOTE]

That is the head of Liberty so you see the head and the arm with the torch.

[QUOTE=rogue;560847]Absolutely not Randwick (assuming the one in Australia per google). She never lived more than a few miles from her birth place in Wisconsin.[/QUOTE]
I would look for towns around that area that start with R or had High Schools that started with R (some may be renamed). School pins were popular in the 1930's. After Uncle Adolph came to power the symbol in the middle would have fallen out of favour. So that may be a pin from an older generation. Ask your cousin about yearbooks and towns that the kinfolk lived in.

[CODE]Racine
Radisson
Randolph
Readstown
Redgranite
Reedsburg
Reedsville
Reeseville
Reserve
Rewey
Rhinelander
Richfield
Ridgeland
Ridgeway
Rio
Ripon
Roberts
Rochester
Rockdale
Rockland
Rome
Rosendale
Rosholt
Rothschild
Rudolph[/CODE]

I know that it may not be couture to recommend offsite, but the folks on Reddit at r/whatisthisthing are incredible sleuths at identifying anything from valuable relics to miscellaneous tchotchkes. It might be work a shot.

[url]https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/[/url]

[QUOTE=Runtime Error;560868]couture[/QUOTE]
:huh: ?

Perhaps you meant "kosher" ?

The high school does not have 'R' in it's name and the mascot/team does not have an 'R' in it either.

I'll ask my cousin to post on Reddit. Thanks for the hint.

[QUOTE=axn;560869]:huh: ?

Perhaps you meant "kosher" ?[/QUOTE]

I meant couture as a synonym for fashionable. Is that incorrect? :unsure:

[QUOTE=Runtime Error;560871]I meant couture as a synonym for fashionable. Is that incorrect? :unsure:[/QUOTE]

Ok. Never really heard it before used as such. Always heard it in reference to actual fashion (clothing) related things only. Oh well, you live and learn :smile:

[QUOTE=axn;560872]Ok. Never really heard it before used as such. Always heard it in reference to actual fashion (clothing) related things only. Oh well, you live and learn :smile:[/QUOTE]

I'm definitely a better mathematician than languager so I really don't know.

[QUOTE=rogue;560855]That is the head of Liberty so you see the head and the arm with the torch.[/QUOTE]
Hmm. Looking at it now, I guess it is. Never occurred to me before. Fascinating. So, that's a [i]helmet[/i] on the head.

So the figure is [i]wearing a helmet[/i] and [i]holding a torch[/i]. Interesting combination. It might be probative.

A helmet or a crown.

[QUOTE=Dr Sardonicus;560887]Hmm. Looking at it now, I guess it is. Never occurred to me before. Fascinating. So, that's a [i]helmet[/i] on the head.

So the figure is [i]wearing a helmet[/i] and [i]holding a torch[/i]. Interesting combination. It might be probative.[/QUOTE][QUOTE=rogue;560897]A helmet or a crown.[/QUOTE]Statue of Liberty was my first idea when I looked at that part of the pin.

Jacob

I just can't decipher it. What for you? It is apparently from the Thule-Gesellschaft.

[QUOTE=S485122;560903]Statue of Liberty was my first idea when I looked at that part of the pin.[/QUOTE]
Same here. Especially that the image on ebay linked in the first post is ten times more clear and it can be enlarged if you hover the mouse on it or zoom.

[QUOTE=moebius;560918]I just can't decipher it. What for you? It is apparently from the Thule-Gesellschaft.[/QUOTE]

I don't agree with that. The Thule Society is tied to the Nazis and the other items on the pin are contrary to what the Nazis believed in. Also the center image doesn't look close enough to their symbol. Considering the detail in the other items on the pin, I have to believe that the center item is a fairly accurate representation of something.

[QUOTE=rogue;560929]I don't agree with that. The Thule Society is tied to the Nazis and the other items on the pin are contrary to what the Nazis believed in. Also the center image doesn't look close enough to their symbol. Considering the detail in the other items on the pin, I have to believe that the center item is a fairly accurate representation of something.[/QUOTE]You know Monrovia (Czech Republic), was occupied in World War II, so who knows.The Thule Society, founded in August 1918, existed before the Nazis and was a political secret society that probably emerged from Freemasonry, which you can see in the symbolism..Another symbol that I recognize is contained in the logo of the Aum Shinrikyo sect, followers of the Aleph (Japanese) cult.
I don't really care either

As you said a Jarowik, protective symbol of the harvest and the cattle.Swastika as a protective symbol for set and order. Suasti the symbol of movement.

The ebay item is indeed very similar in design to your pin. That item is (claimed to be) silver

I'm not sure what the "Mystery pin" is made of. It looks like it might be plated base metal, which would indicate mass production. But that might just be a trick of the light.

The [i]style[/i] of the two pins appears to be almost identical. The central object is different (a lyre v. a yarovik), but the surrounding things are the same -- lamp, lightning bolt, balance scales, R on shield, Lady Liberty. The shape of the pin also looks pretty similar. So the basic style may once have been common for award pins. Perhaps the center was variable to allow for different kinds of awards. The ebay item has a lyre in the middle, and was a music-related award.

I'm not sure why the center of your pin is (or appears to be) a yarovik. Its signifying the protection of the harvest indicates a possible connection to agriculture or farming. Anyone in the family ever go to ag school? Or, perhaps, belong to 4-H, FFA, or some such organization?

[QUOTE=Dr Sardonicus;561105]The ebay item is indeed very similar in design to your pin. That item is (claimed to be) silver

I'm not sure what the "Mystery pin" is made of. It looks like it might be plated base metal, which would indicate mass production. But that might just be a trick of the light.

The [i]style[/i] of the two pins appears to be almost identical. The central object is different (a lyre v. a yarovik), but the surrounding things are the same -- lamp, lightning bolt, balance scales, R on shield, Lady Liberty. The shape of the pin also looks pretty similar. So the basic style may once have been common for award pins. Perhaps the center was variable to allow for different kinds of awards. The ebay item has a lyre in the middle, and was a music-related award.

I'm not sure why the center of your pin is (or appears to be) a yarovik. Its signifying the protection of the harvest indicates a possible connection to agriculture or farming. Anyone in the family ever go to ag school? Or, perhaps, belong to 4-H, FFA, or some such organization?[/QUOTE]

I have considered 4-H as a possibility, but cannot find anything similar in the 4-H symbols I've seen online. I do not know if she grew up on a farm. I'm not convinced that the e-bay description is correct. It would be nice if the seller posted details on its provenance, but it seems to be a person who resells jewelry.

The symbol also is similar to a svaor. See [url]https://www.pinterest.com/pin/543387511290925687/[/url], but that seems further off the beaten path.

Knowing the age of the pin would be helpful as we could more easily place who it came from.

[QUOTE=rogue;561980]Knowing the age of the pin would be helpful as we could more easily place who it came from.[/QUOTE]
It likely is less-old than the Statue of Liberty.

Perhaps a jeweler, museum curator, etc might be willing to look at it and give you an idea of how old it might be or what it might have been for, without charging you for an appraisal. (If it's mass produced, a reputable jeweler would tell you that, and say it isn't worth appraising anyway.)

[QUOTE=Dr Sardonicus;562005]It likely is less-old than the Statue of Liberty.

Perhaps a jeweler, museum curator, etc might be willing to look at it and give you an idea of how old it might be or what it might have been for, without charging you for an appraisal. (If it's mass produced, a reputable jeweler would tell you that, and say it isn't worth appraising anyway.)[/QUOTE]

A jeweler was consulted, but not much help.

[QUOTE=rogue;562011]A jeweler was consulted, but not much help.[/QUOTE]My immediate reaction was, "Find a better jeweler." Or museum person, or someone in the memorabilia business, or a collector, or...

[QUOTE=Dr Sardonicus;562170]My immediate reaction was, "Find a better jeweller." Or museum person, or someone in the memorabilia business, or a collector, or...[/QUOTE]

I would have thought that consulting jewellers on this sort of thing could be a little hit and miss. A negative from one doesn't mean too much unless it matches their speciality or something like that.