KevinBeyer Posted February 17, 2018 Author #51 Posted February 17, 2018 JOS. MAYER & BROS ---MAKERS--- SEATTLE U.S.A. This badge is an earlier version with cut outs between the bolo hilts and skull.
EricJK Posted March 28, 2018 #52 Posted March 28, 2018 First of all, I want to thank Kevin Beyer for this thread and for his correspondence over the past week concerning the Military Order of the Serpent. There is a tremendous amount of information here about a very obscure group and I find it all very fascinating. I just learned about this group over the last week because I wanted to acquire a some Spanish American War pieces to inspire me why I study this period. This badge was kind of an incidental purchase since the auction also came with a United Spanish War Veterans type II badge. After reading this thread, I realized that this badge was unlike the others that typically arise in searches. So here's the badge.
KevinBeyer Posted March 28, 2018 Author #53 Posted March 28, 2018 The badge that EricJK shows in the previous post would have been worn by an attendee of the Military Order of the Serpent Supreme Convocation held in 1912 at Atlantic City, NJ. This event was held concurrently with the United Spanish War Veterans' 1912 National Encampment. It is, in my opinion, one of the best examples of an M.O.S. Supreme Convocation badge there is. Kevin
KevinBeyer Posted April 20, 2018 Author #54 Posted April 20, 2018 I have finally submitted my article to JOMSA on M.O.S. officer insignia and past president badges. I am told it will be 6-12 months before it sees print. It seems like a long time, but I understand they work several issues ahead in order to maintain their regular bimonthly publishing schedule. I hope that people find it interesting. Kevin
KevinBeyer Posted April 20, 2018 Author #55 Posted April 20, 2018 Seeing as reunion badges don't quite fall under the same category of Orders and Medals, I thought it might be time to show what has taken me 18 years to amass. Military Order of the Serpent Supreme Convocation Badges ranging from 1911 to 1920 (missing 1919)
KevinBeyer Posted April 20, 2018 Author #56 Posted April 20, 2018 Military Order of the Serpent Supreme Convocation Badges ranging from 1921 to 1930 (missing 1924)
KevinBeyer Posted April 20, 2018 Author #57 Posted April 20, 2018 Military Order of the Serpent Supreme Convocation Badges ranging from 1931 to 1940 (1935 missing ribbon)
KevinBeyer Posted April 20, 2018 Author #58 Posted April 20, 2018 Military Order of the Serpent Supreme Convocation Badges ranging from 1941 to 1950 (missing 1945)
KevinBeyer Posted April 20, 2018 Author #59 Posted April 20, 2018 Military Order of the Serpent Supreme Convocation Badges ranging from 1951 to 1960 (missing 1954-1960)
vietvet7071 Posted April 20, 2018 #60 Posted April 20, 2018 All I can say Is: WOW, Fantastic, Outstanding, Cool, Neat!
Squidfd41 Posted June 3, 2018 #61 Posted June 3, 2018 My Great Grandfather was a Spanish War veteran. He was also a member of the Military Order of the Serpent. He was a delegate at the 1931 Convocation.
KevinBeyer Posted June 3, 2018 Author #62 Posted June 3, 2018 Squidfd41, Thank you for sharing the image of his 26th Supreme Convocation badge. This reunion was held in New Orleans, La, in 1931. Do you have any images of your great grandfather in uniform that you could share? Kevin
Squidfd41 Posted June 3, 2018 #63 Posted June 3, 2018 Hey Kevin...I don’t have any photos of my great grandfather,sure wish I did. All I have from him are his Discharge Certificate, Spanish War Medal, Certificate when he was promoted to Corporal and a few other papers. Mike
KevinBeyer Posted June 3, 2018 Author #64 Posted June 3, 2018 Hi, Mike, Thanks for the reply. If you haven't already, it would be great if you could share images of your g-grandfather's items. I am sure they would love to see them over in U.S. Militaria Forum → US MILITARIA DISCUSSIONS → 18TH CENTURY-WWI US MILITARIA → SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR Kevin
Squidfd41 Posted June 5, 2018 #65 Posted June 5, 2018 I’ll have to get it all together an post the images. Mike
KevinBeyer Posted September 30, 2018 Author #66 Posted September 30, 2018 My article entitled Military Order of the Serpent Officers' Insignia and Past Presidents' Badges has been published in Volume 69, Number 5 of the Journal of the Orders and Medals Society of America. It is the feature article for this issue. I am pretty pleased with the information I was able to include in this article. If you are interested in reading it, I feel that it is worth a look! Kevin
SARGE Posted October 1, 2018 #67 Posted October 1, 2018 Excellent work Kevin! So much hard work goes into writing these articles that I know it is a relief to see the finished article finally in print. I am glad that you were pleased with the way it turned out. Others will be too. George
KevinBeyer Posted February 17, 2019 Author #69 Posted February 17, 2019 My latest acquisition might be one of the cornerstone pieces of my collection. I am not sure how I was fortunate enough to stumble across this one-of-a-kind piece. It just goes to show you that no matter what you collect, there are new treasures to be found. The Military Order of the Serpent membership would send national delegates to their Supreme Convocations which were held concurrently with U.S.W.V. National Encampments. During these meetings the M.O.S. governing body, La Junta Nacional, would conduct business that would effect the operations of the organization for the upcoming year. Similar to other organizations, the M.O.S. president, the Supreme Gu Gu Grandississimo, would wield a gavel while officiating these meetings. I have located and obtained a one-of-a-kind, folk art gavel which was crafted by one of the Snaix, dedicated to the organization, and used by the Supreme Lair S.G.G.G.. Kevin
SARGE Posted February 19, 2019 #71 Posted February 19, 2019 Folk art indeed. That is a neat gavel. Congratulations!
ken1967 Posted February 24, 2019 #72 Posted February 24, 2019 Amazing item Kevin! The possibility of that rare item just around the corner has always kept this hobby so exciting for me. Thanks for sharing!
KevinBeyer Posted March 1, 2020 Author #73 Posted March 1, 2020 It is hard for me to believe that one year after finding the above gavel, I have found one of my Military Order of the Serpent holy grails! When I first started collecting M.O.S. items back in 2000, I came across a black and white photo of a vet wearing a fez with felt letters spelling out G.G.G. on it. Military Order of the Serpent local level presidents were called Gu Gu Grandississimos. I assumed only M.O.S. officers wore fezzes based upon that observation. I have been on the lookout for a fez ever since, never actually thinking I was going to find one. Because my collection is so highly focused, I rarely add anything to it these days. But, I am always on the lookout for pieces to add. I search every day. And, that searching has paid off. I found this nearly perfect, green M.O.S. fez with embroidered lettering. I had assumed from the original photos I saw that the lettering was painted. Upon receipt I discovered that this fez was professionally made with machine stitching. The only marking inside is its size (6 7/8). Unfortunatetly, it has no maker's label. I can only assume that it was made by one of the many novelty companies that supplied veterans' organizations. If anyone out there knows of any other M.O.S. fezzes, or other M.O.S. costumes, please contact me. I would love to see more. Kevin
Tolzer Posted May 6, 2020 #75 Posted May 6, 2020 This Order of the Serpents was owned by 1st LT. Starkey, 32nd Michigan Infantry.
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