In a Stack's Bowers blog article, Dave Bowers discusses one of my favorite rare-as-hell medals, the 1746 Annapolis Tuesday Club medal. -Editor

The group held biweekly meetings called sederunts in each other's homes, applying a set of exacting but lighthearted laws. One law made it mandatory to toast the health of the members' wives and ladies, "immediately after supper and before any other toasts or healths go round." Another, called the "Gelastic Law," stated:

That if any subject of what nature soever be discussed, which levels at party matters, or the administration of the government of this province, or be disagreeable to the Club, no answer shall be given thereto, but after such discourse is ended, the Society shall laugh at the member offending, in order to divert the discourse.

In May of 1748, the members authorized the striking of a gilded silver keepsake that holds the record as America's earliest club medal. Dr. Alexander Hamilton of Scotland, a founding member who later would write a 1,900-page History of the Tuesday Club, created the design and the dies were cut in London, possibly by John Kirk (according to C. Wyllys Betts), at a cost of 6 1/2 guineas.

The Tuesday club medal's legends indicate what was most important to the group. CONCORDIA RES PARVAE CRESCUNT, which roughly translates to "happily joining like-thinking fellows" and "LIBERTAS ET NATALE SOLUM" means "liberty and homeland only." CAROLUS COLE of the obverse legend was Charles Cole, the club's first president.

The Tuesday Club disbanded in 1756.