Expert: Jim Lawniczak - 10/9/2006

Question
I have a coin from my grandfather.  On the back - on the top it reads "Lafayette Chapter No. 61 , R.A.M. (directly under that it reads) Chartered.  On the bottem on the back it reads " Ocotber 18,1871 and under that is Bonaparte, Iowa.  The center of the back states one penny.
On the front is a sort of sheild and a mallet on the right and a  wedge on the left of the sheild. At the top "One"  on the bottem "Penny".  On the sheild are letters which are not easy read.  
I would like to know the value and origin of said coin.

Answer
Hello, Rachel, I know that there have been lots of different kinds of tokens made over time, and this is one of them.  Based on your description, I would tend to agree that this is a masonic penny, made by a mason lodge in Bonaparte, Iowa.  Your best chance to find out something about it and its value is to first go to www.ebay.com and do a search for some of the things on your piece and see if anyone is selling something like it (try masonic penny if all else fails and see generic masonic pieces).  Then try www.google.com and see if a dealer is selling something like yours.  Hope this helped, Jim Lawniczak