Ancient Order of Foresters Sash Plate

Material: Cast brass with gilt wash, machined edge holes for attachment
Size: 105 mm W × 45 mm H
Description: This impressive, large fraternal emblem was crafted for officers serving within the Ancient Order of Foresters, a prominent British friendly society that expanded globally during the nineteenth century. Measuring 105mm wide by 45mm high, the heavy die-struck brass plate features a central octagonal banner proudly displaying the raised capital letters "AOF." Surmounting this tablet is the traditional heraldic crest of the order, showcasing a sharply detailed stag’s head emerging majestically from a ducal coronet. The central composition is flanked by sweeping foliage, combining clustered oak leaves on the left to symbolize strength with flowing fern fronds on the right. The horizontal layout was specifically manufactured as a decorative mount, intended to be pinned flush against a wide velvet breastplate, administrative apron, or silk shoulder sash worn during formal regional assemblies.
Reverse: This image details the structural reverse side of the 105mm wide Ancient Order of Foresters fraternal emblem, offering clear material proof of traditional late-Victorian metal stamping techniques. The backplate mirrors the deeply recessed, hollow impressions created by a heavy industrial die-striking process, showing how the front lettering and stag crest were forced outward from a single sheet of brass. Crucial to its mounting functionality are four flat, rectangular attachment tabs positioned at the corners of the central octagonal box area, which were designed to bend over or crimp into a rigid backing plate. Additionally, several tiny, clean apertures are pierced directly through the outer tips of the oak leaves and fern fronds, allowing a regalia tailor to stitch the sprawling ends flush against a velvet or silk sash.
Circa: 1880–1920s
Notes:
This substantial plate holds great appeal for collectors specializing in secret society regalia, masonic-era leveling pieces, and Victorian social history. Friendly societies originally utilized these heavy-gauge brass embellishments to instantly distinguish executive courtroom officers, such as the Past Chief Ranger or a local Woodward, during public street processions and holiday parades. While general members wore small enameled pocket pins, these massive utility plates were stitched or toggled directly onto ceremonial textiles using tiny threading holes pierced near the foliage tips or original dual wire loops on the reverse.