Exonumia - Secret Societies, Fraternal Orders/Organizations

Early Ames Masonic Knights Templar Sword with Scabbard; beautiful example. Nicely etched blade with Maltese Cross and Templar Cross. Manufactured by the Ames Mfg, Co., Chicopee, Mass. circa mid-to-late 1800s. Excellent condition. A well made heavy Masonic sword; high quality.
Overall length in scabbard is ~36-1/2"; overall length out of scabbard is ~34-1/2"; blade length is ~27-1/2".

Foot Artillery Short Sword of fraternal style, blunted tip. White metal hilt, cast. Based on the neo-classical French Model 1831 Foot Artillery Short Sword (in turn based on the Roman gladius). No markings are visible, so origin is unknown.
Overall length is ~23-1/2""; blade length is ~18-1/4". Blade is un-marked.
Good condition overall.
NOTE: No scabbard.

Very nice fraternal Scimeter (Scimitar) Dagger or Short Sword (could also be theatrical in nature); manufactured by C.E. Ward Company of New London, Ohio. Hilt furniture is brass; scabbard is black leather with copper throat, bands, and drag. Grip is solid cast brass.
Overall length in scabbard is ~20-1/2"; overall length out of scabbard is ~20-3/8"; blade length is ~15-1/2".
Very-good to condition overall.

This is a Mexican Artillery/Grenadier NCO's or Gunner's Jacket (or tunic) dating from about the 1830s to about the 1870s. Gold (yellow) decorations in the design of grenades (aka flaming bombs) are affixed to the collar and tails (turn-backs) of the jacket. Blue body and lapels (breast-cover) with red collar, cuffs, and piping (designates artillery); breast-cover has 18 buttons, 9 on each side, silver and ~7/8" in diameter; four buttons on back straps, same style as front; three buttons on sleeves near cuffs on each side, ~5/8" in diameter.
Blue belt loops with red piping along the waist-line; solid red loops on the shoulders running front-to-back for attaching boards or epaulettes; this indicates to me an officer's jacket, commissioned or non-commissioned, but not a private (as a private's jacket would normally have straps running from neck-to-shoulder where-under accoutrement/equipment straps would run).
Jacket is lined but lining has been replaced at some later time.

The noted publication Cronica del Traje Militar en Mexico del Siglo XVI AL XX by Artes de Mexico, No. 102, Ano XV, 1968 shows similar jackets illustrated on pages 64-65. The jacket on page 64 is of a mounted artillery colonel with remarks "1875 Republica" with description (on page 65), "Artillery Colonel, 1875. This style of military uniform was introduced in 1869, after the restoration of the Republic. Of stern dignity, these models were patterned after the French fashion, continued in Mexican armed forces for more than 40 years." The unusual thing is a more closely designed jacket is illustrated on page 65 as "Figure B". On that page the jacket is illustrated but not described; however, it is included with other descriptions of illustrated uniforms as follows, "In 1839, Presidial Companies garrisoned forts along Texas and California. Fig. a, recalls the famous Cuera Dragoons; c, was the Presidial dress in California; d, is a recaptured deserter; e, an invalid." Figure "b" is not mentioned at all in the description but is clearly grouped with other dress/uniforms known circa 1839! I contend the jacket is from that period.
In the publication Arms and Uniforms - The Napoleonic Wars - Part 2 by Liliane and Fred Funcken on pages 115-116 in the section covering The Spanish Army, there is virtually an identical uniform illustrated on page 115 noted as 4 & 5 with description on page 116 under the heading "SPAIN INFANTRY (p.115)" and it states "4. Gunner (1808), 5. Gunner (1810)". These illustrated artillery "gunner's" uniforms clearly have the same jacket collar with gold "flaming bomb" on either side.
Very hard to find item in good condition. Some insect damage to the back-side of jacket (see images); liner has been replaced. Stand included.

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Militia sword believed circa 1850s-1890s. These were carried by Militia sergeants and also by various fraternal organizations. Fluted bone grip, brass furniture. Oval style blade in cross-section, ~27-1/4" in length, unfullered; blade is nickel plated. Overall length in scabbard is ~35-1/4"; overall length out of scabbard is ~33-1/2". Unknown maker.
Hilt is slightly loose but could be tightened; backside langet is slightly bent and hole has been drilled through this location, through the backside of scabbard, and partially into blade as if something was to be inserted to secure the blade in the scabbard (see images); some red leather is missing from the scabbard but metal body underneath is intact; otherwise condition is about fair overall.

Militia sword believed circa 1850s-1890s. These were carried by Militia sergeants and also by various fraternal organizations. Fluted bone grip, brass furniture. Oval style blade in cross-section, ~28-1/4" in length, unfullered; blade is nickel plated. Overall length out of scabbard is ~34-1/2". Unknown maker.
Hilt is tight; some of the scabbard body and red leather is missing, perhaps about eight inches from where the drag end would be; otherwise condition is about fair to good overall.

Militia or cadet sword believed circa mid-1800s. Wood grip wrapped in leather, bound with decorative brass wire, nickel-brass composition furniture. Hilt cross-guard displays a mustachioed soldier in a plumed helmet flanked by crossed gladius-style short artillery swords, each sword displaying a star in center of their cross-guards. believe this may be a Texas Military Academy sword, I just do not know which. Wide ~1-1/8" combat-worthy blade, ~26-1/2" in length, unfullered, raised medial rib, diamond-shaped in cross-section. Overall length is ~32-1/2". Unknown maker.
Hilt is fairly tight but missing some of the leather wrap; blade tip has been reshaped and sharpened, otherwise good condition.

This is an original regulation US Navy Officer's sword, presented in January 1865. Inscription on the blade implies both US Navy and Masonic connections and believe reads as follows, "Presented by 3 brothers [followed by the Masonic Grand Lodge symbol] / Boston Jany 1st 1865 to / __ MAITLAND U.S.N". This was very difficult to read/interpret but I am assuming this was a military lodge located in Boston, presenting a sword to ? Maitland by fellow lodge members for some unknown duty or service during the Civil War. That is significant. There were not many Maitlands in the US Navy during the Civil War, only three I can find in my research.