SS Stalingrad Officers Totenkopf Skull Ring

[cadman]

13.03.11
Many thanks again for the input on this unbelievably grey area!

I was lucky enough to be given the ring with many other German & Soviet memorabilia, so no problem regarding the price. The ring does look superb & intriguing and a great conversation starter & if you can buy one for $98 then I would be happy to pay that!

Will post some more items for your interest & comments, that is if I can find the right forum through all this excellent info rich website.

Cheers
Tony

[cadman]

13.03.11
Many thanks again for the input on this unbelievably grey area!

I was lucky enough to be given the ring with many other German & Soviet memorabilia, so no problem regarding the price. The ring does look superb & intriguing and a great conversation starter & if you can buy one for $98 then I would be happy to pay that!

Will post some more items for your interest & comments, that is if I can find the right forum through all this excellent info rich website.

Cheers
Tony

[Totenkopf]

I stumbled on to this thread some time ago in an effort to identify the origin of this ring because I bought a copy from pzg such as the one in Adrian's photograph. As anyone can see the detail in it is not as defined as the one in Tony's photo. I find it difficult to believe that it's design is not of third Reich origin regardless of the circumstance under which it was found because of its limited marketability. "Fantasy" rings are generally more fantastic: ie Snakes, dragons, ruby-eyed skulls with fangs and the like. If Tony's ring is a fake then why then are there not more just like it available. It obviously didn't come from the same mold as the one I purchased.

[Walkwolf]

The design is indeed of Third Reich origin - but not the era it was manufactured.

The fakers know these rings are rare. If they flood the market, there would be
no way they could make many hundreds of dollars passing them off
as originals to the unsuspecting.

As well, the inside of Tony's ring is new. No wear whatsoever - with applied
patination. Original SSTK honour rings sell for huge money, so there is
a market for fakes, but $98 is too much money for one, IMO.........

[Totenkopf]

Walkwolf, I understand there is a market for fakes and profit to be made from them. I thought it was the very design of the ring that was in question. In other words why bootleg a ring of questionable design origin when you can copy a more well known ring such as Himmler's honor rings? Perhaps Tony's is a copy but; a copy of what? It's the origin of the design that I'm trying to ascertain. Have you ever encountered a genuine ring of this design? Thanks, Totenkoph

[Adrian Stevenson]

All down to money. Fakers make fantasy items simply because people are fool enough to buy them. Sadly people buy on a whim and then do the research afterwards.

These rings have no historical basis.

Cheers, Ade.

[Totenkopf]

Adrian, So then you are saying that WWII Nazi's did not design such a ring?

[Adrian Stevenson]

That is correct.

There were many different skull rings available for private purchase but this was not one of them.

Check your PM box.

Cheers, Ade.

[derwood58]

Hello everyone,
Just thought i'd show a very poor copy of a Himmler "HONOR RING" and a picture of a ring sold on epay for $1,395.00!!! i paid $40.00 KNOWING it was fake...But the ring sold on epay has identical inner marking's as mine!???! How's that work? ha... one on yellow paper(provenance ha)is ebay ring..

[Totenkopf]

Yours certainly appears more worn than the e-bay item. How do you know the one you have isn't genuine? It has an interesting score line behind the skull. Isn't there a way to authenticate by virtue of the metal composition?