A few more skull rings

[Eike41]

This is at the jeweler before they were plated.

[Eike41]

So is it possible that these are in fact the rings I have but gold plated? Wouldn't they have more value as relics? How can I tell that they are plate and not casts of these?

[Wagriff]

It's a matter of personal preference when it comes to relics. Some prefer them in the state that they originally were in when owned and worn by the original owner, and some prefer a total relic condition, going so far as to actually prefer the rust and corrosion that resulted from 7 decades of burial in the soils. Myself, I see nothing bad about restoration, but that's just my personal opinion. I always envision the original owner looking at them and asking "Why have you let them rust? Why don't you polish them up?", whereas the Purists want nothing touched at all. Value-wise, it can go either way, depending on who is buying them from you. A restorationist or a purist.

[Eike41]

Thanks for the reply,

[Wagriff]

If they are brass beneath the plating, as they look to be in the photos, then I would think that they are genuine. I have not seen brass rings like this being duplicated. So far, the fakers seem to be working with the silver rings rather than the base metal pieces.

[Glenn66]

Rather than being brass, as kantine rings I could imagine them being made of a cheap alloy. 'GOLDIN' was the name of one of the alloys and tarnishes just like the un-plated rings shown above.

[Mark4321]

Hi all,

I recieved an explanation from Maxim about the rings. It seems that the rings were gold plated after they were found. This is how they looked original and cleaned I am told.

Hmmm.. isn't that something you might mention before you sell them to someone as 'fresh from out of the ground'?
Just saying...
Mark

[Triggerself]

lol The 1st one is certainly not cast. There is no porosity either inside or out. It is merely my poor photographs that give it any sort of such appearance. This one was dug in Karelia and underwent much discussion at the time. It has also been posted on the ring forum(your own forum,Sergey...) with fine results. It is one of the lot that I would have no qualms about. According to a silversmith in Pennsylvania, it had evidence of being repaired or sized at Least 3 times. This does, however, illustrate quite well the current paranoia about rings and the "everything is cast" attitude that is prevailing. Too many people-both experienced and not- are making instant judgements and using poor photographs. I wonder how many Good rings have been discarded and passed on because of such things.

Nice original one day, cast fake the next...now how could that be?

No one told that this is original ring. Here is the proof from my group.

[Glenn66]

Hmmm.. isn't that something you might mention before you sell them to someone as 'fresh from out of the ground'?
Just saying...
Mark

The original sales advertisement did say "To the rings were used several methods of cleaning, as a result very well could see the gold coating" so no mention of gold plating after being found.

[Wagriff]

The "proof" is 11 ring collectors gave their approval and You did not say a single word against it. And it was actually posted Several times on your Forum-all without a word of dissent from You.