(1829) Bronze Medal Fuld-FR.M.MA.1 Lodge of Nine Sisters

Coin Details

Auction Record

$900 MS63BN 04-03-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

This bronze medal cataloged as Fuld-FR.M.MA.1 commemorates the Lodge of Nine Sisters (Loge des Neuf Soeurs), the renowned Parisian Masonic lodge that counted Benjamin Franklin among its most illustrious members. Franklin was initiated into the Lodge of Nine Sisters in 1778 during his diplomatic mission to France and served as its Worshipful Master from 1779 to 1781. The lodge, named for the nine Muses of Greek mythology, was an intellectual salon that attracted leading Enlightenment figures including Voltaire, who was famously initiated with Franklin's sponsorship in April 1778. The Fuld-FR catalog designation places this within the Franklin medal series, reflecting Franklin's central role in the lodge's history. The Lodge of Nine Sisters served as a crucial meeting ground for Franco-American intellectual and political cooperation during the American Revolution, providing Franklin with access to influential French supporters of American independence. The "1829" date indicates this medal was produced during the early nineteenth-century revival of interest in Masonic history and Franklin's legacy, several decades after both the Revolution and Franklin's death in 1790.

Rarity Notes

Bronze medal honoring the Lodge of Nine Sisters. Masonic-Franklin crossover pieces attract interest from both Masonic and Franklin medal collectors. The Fuld catalog provides definitive identification.

Cross References

PCGS #935204; Fuld-FR.M.MA.1