RD. 1902 VTG Montreal Concordia Salus Sterling Silver Enamel Crest Pin 3 x 2.5
With the passage of time, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find these souvenir brooches. These elaborate sterling and enamel creations were the crème de la crème of the souvenir pins produced by now defunct Canadian manufacturers. They would never have been as plentiful as the more affordable base metal souvenir pins, which also accounts for their scarcity. Many of the pieces contain only the word, STERLING, or the letters RD and the year date, possibly indicating the year the design patent was registered (unconfirmed by either the Canadian or the British Patent Office,) or contain makers’ marks that remain unidentified. Although I was hoping to find the Richard Hemsley mark on this piece, it appears to be unbranded.
Montréal's flag and coat of arms now bears five symbols to recognize the city's founding peoples: the white pine for the indigenous presence, the fleur-de-lis for the French, the rose for the English, the thistle for the Scottish and the clover for the Irish. This pin from the early 1900s shows a beaver, and the other symbols representing the European immigrants. It is a marvelous piece and very rare. Please study the photographs carefully. The piece came down to me via relatives who had family in Montreal.