Gold painted cast iron measuring 8" x 6.5". On face: the letters CDA and a crucifix. On reverse: PAT.APP.FOR.
The Catholic Daughters of the Americas was formed in New York in 1903, as an auxiliary to the "Knights of Columbus". This organization was originally founded as the National Order of the Daughters of Isabella; the name was changed in 1921. In 1994 there were 160,000 members. The order's ritual, devised by the Knights of Columbus, was (and is) predictably Roman Catholic in orientation. Kotrba collection
Horseshoe Plaque Trivets
"The majority of horseshoe plaque trivets date from the late 1800s through the early 1900s, paralleling a period when fraternal orders were at their peak of popularity." The Expanded A-Z Guide To Collecting Trivets, page 54.
Little information is available on the manufacturing history of firms that produced these plaques. Collectors estimate 150 to 200 different Eagle Horseshoe variations were manufactured between the years 1880 and 1920.
Horseshoe Plaque Trivets share similar attributes. They were:
- manufactured from the late 1800’s through the early 1900’s.
- cast in a basic horseshoe shape, without feet.
- topped with a spread eagle.
- most commonly made of cast iron; less commonly of brass or bronze.
- created during a period when fraternal crders were most popular.
- sometimes given as carnival prizes, lodge favors, commemoratives or gifts.
