Paul Buckley is an amateur historian who has, for a few years, conducted volunteer metal-detecting work on the grounds of the Hancock-Mitchell House at Quansoo Farm. Mr. Buckley finds coins, buttons, hardware, and various other metal items of interest, and gives all of his finds to Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation. A few years ago, Mr. Buckley made an unusual find: a silver medal.
Somewhat larger than a silver dollar, the medal features a relief image of Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, on one side. Beside the image are the words, “Awarded by the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture 1922.” On the back of the medal are inscribed the words, “Won by Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society, Collection of Vegetables.”
This medal lay in the earth for decades. Mr. Buckley found it perhaps two years ago, and since that time, the medal was kept in the Hancock-Mitchell House. Through the encouragement of Bob Egerton, who is on the Board of both Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation and the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society, Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation decided to present the Agricultural Society with the medal.
On November 17, 2021, Adam Moore polished the medal, put it in an attractive box donated by C.B. Stark, and attended the 2021 Annual Meeting of the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society. At that meeting, Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation presented to the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society its long-lost silver medal. To hearty applause, Agricultural Society President Brian Athearn thanked Sheriff’s MeadowFoundation, and accepted the medal on behalf of the Society.