In the 1930’s a famous California history professor thought he had discovered a long lost historical treasure. It was a brass plate apparently inscribed by the famous English adventurer Sir. Francis Drake. The plate was heralded as an amazing discovery, but it was actually an elaborate hoax orchestrated by an irreverent secret society. The group behind the hoax is known as E Clampus Vitus and it may be America’s weirdest secret society. Tune in a find out how tin-can medallions, “widders”, and a Grand Noble Humbug all play a role in the story.

Works Cited

History Page, www.ecv58.com/history.html.

“The Clampers: A Historical Drinking Society or a Drinking Historical Society?” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2017, www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-clampers-history-20171110-htmlstory.html.

Ecvtuna@harborbodyart.net. “The Offical Site of E Clampus Vitus® Inc.” The Offical Site of E Clampus Vitus® Inc., www.ecvinc.org/.

Mckinley, Jesse. “Promoting Offbeat History Between the Drinks.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 13 Oct. 2008, www.nytimes.com/2008/10/14/us/14california.html.

Porten, E. Von Der, et al. “Who Made Drake’s Plate of Brass? Hint: It Wasn’t Francis Drake.” California History, vol. 81, no. 2, 2002, pp. 116–133., doi:10.2307/25177677.

“Scientists Explain Drake’s Plate Hoax.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2003, www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-19-me-hoax19-story.html.Spence, Richard B. The Real History of Secret Societies. Narrated by Richard B. Spence, Audible, 2017. Audiobook.

Spence, Richard B. The Real History of Secret Societies. Narrated by Richard B. Spence, Audible, 2017. Audiobook.