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09-17-2018 09:54 PM
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IMO the skull ring looks good and of the period, and if they were always together by default I'd think the same of the personal ring. However they look to be ground dug, so if found together from one soldier I'd question the "discovery origin" of the ring. This to me would imply they were removed from a interred KIA, and quite possibly found as a result of black digging? For me that would be something I wouldn't be comfortable owning. The circumstances could be different but it s just my observation. Kindest regards. And welcome to the forum.
Brian
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I'd have to agree with the above sentiment. These are personal items, very unlikely to have been dropped or discarded by the original owner. Any relic hunter of good repute would have had the rings re-interred along with the remains, assuming they were not from a grave in the first place. While there is no way to definitively prove that that is the origin of these pieces, I would not want to purchase them on principle.
Regards, B.B.
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Thanks for your answers! I will continue the dialogue with the seller to get some answers before my decision!
Regards,
Alexander
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by
bsiwula1
IMO the skull ring looks good…
I agree that the skull looks like it’s real. Certainly a well-known pattern. It does indeed look aged and might be ground-dug. I wonder what it looks like beneath the grime which can also hide details (for good or for bad!).
The other ring is unusual. Never seen that pattern before. I don‘t believe it is associated with any Third Reich or military organisation. Probably a personal or family ring.
Welcome to the forum!
Last edited by SpitfireVb; 09-18-2018 at 10:47 AM.
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Thanks!
Does anyone know where I can get some history behind these skull rings which are not the honour type ehrenrings?
Ive searched online but havent had too much success to be honest.
Would be very interesting to see typically what kind of soldiers who wore them and why.
Kind regards,
Alexander
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by
alexanderiggs
Thanks!
Does anyone know where I can get some history behind these skull rings which are not the honour type ehrenrings?
Ive searched online but havent had too much success to be honest.
Would be very interesting to see typically what kind of soldiers who wore them and why...
Most of the skull rings, called Kantine Ringe, could be purchased widely throughout the Third Reich. They weren’t officially sanctioned or awarded but were very popular among the armed forces, SS and various political organisations. That is why you see the same patterns in varying degrees of quality and wear, from shiny, almost new looking to worn and corroded specimens like the one you posted above.
Kantine rings usually were made of relatively cheap alloy metals (e.g., alpacca) rather than silver although there were some examples of silver plated ones.
There were also private purchase rings sold by jewellers. These were often of better quality than Kantine rings and sometimes silver. Private purchase rings also came as quite a variety of skulls as well as other designs such as armed forces arm (e.g., Luftwaffe), unit or regimental insignia. Some private purchase rings must have been expensive, given the craftsmanship and sometimes use of gold and/or precious stones.
There were also private purchase rings commissioned for individuals. These were usually one-of-a-kind and, without reliable provenance, are the most difficult to authenticate nowadays. Being unique, however, my experience is that they are less likely targets for replication by the fakers who more often tend to make copies of the mass-produced rings.
I am unaware of any publication about Third Reich rings other than a couple of books on the Ehrenring. You can find those on Amazon. My best source is this and other WWII fora such as germandaggers.com. The Honor Ring forum there is excellent and not solely dedicated to honour rings.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Stephen
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by
SpitfireVb
Most of the skull rings, called Kantine Ringe, could be purchased widely throughout the Third Reich. They weren’t officially sanctioned or awarded but were very popular among the armed forces, SS and various political organisations. That is why you see the same patterns in varying degrees of quality and wear, from shiny, almost new looking to worn and corroded specimens like the one you posted above.
Kantine rings usually were made of relatively cheap alloy metals (e.g., alpacca) rather than silver although there were some examples of silver plated ones.
There were also private purchase rings sold by jewellers. These were often of better quality than Kantine rings and sometimes silver. Private purchase rings also came as quite a variety of skulls as well as other designs such as armed forces arm (e.g., Luftwaffe), unit or regimental insignia. Some private purchase rings must have been expensive, given the craftsmanship and sometimes use of gold and/or precious stones.
There were also private purchase rings commissioned for individuals. These were usually one-of-a-kind and, without reliable provenance, are the most difficult to authenticate nowadays. Being unique, however, my experience is that they are less likely targets for replication by the fakers who more often tend to make copies of the mass-produced rings.
I am unaware of any publication about Third Reich rings other than a couple of books on the Ehrenring. You can find those on Amazon. My best source is this and other WWII fora such as germandaggers.com. The Honor Ring forum there is excellent and not solely dedicated to honour rings.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Stephen
Very nice reading Stephen, thanks a lot!
Regards,
Alexander
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