Help with canteen ring.

[camgrant23]

Sorry for this being my 3rd or 4th post! Lol still getting the hang of this website/forum. I have read 80% of the threads in rings and still am having a hard time sorting out all the fakes out there. I have came across a few that i am wondering authenticity of! I will attach pics below. Thanks in advance.

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[camgrant23]

[SpitfireVb]

It's a known pattern canteen skull ring but, again, we need bigger, more detailed photos to try and figure whether it's a good one or a bad one. One of the front, one of each side, one of the back of the cartouche and one from above.

[camgrant23]

Thank you and i have asked the seller for more photos. I have included the same ones again but more clearer quality would you perhaps see if these help guarantee authenticity ? Thank you!

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[camgrant23]

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[camgrant23]

Some more pictures…

[SpitfireVb]

Thank you and i have asked the seller for more photos. I have included the same ones again but more clearer quality would you perhaps see if these help guarantee authenticity ? Thank you!

It is almost impossible to guarantee authenticity unless you saw the ring worn by its original owner. There are so many copies out there, and some of them very good. There are a few things to look out for though.

Based on the larger photos you posted (thanks for that), much of the detail looks soft and mushy to me. I don't see any glaring casting flaws except, perhaps, in the left eye socket but the soft details overall suggest that it's a cast copy. There should also be a silver content mark somewhere inside the shank but I can't see one in any of the photos. This pattern had 835 silver as I recall.

Another concern is that the ring looks as if it has been artificially aged. If it has, it's a dud. In my opinion, the amount of blackening is excessive, and its distribution is all wrong. Look at that black patch under the righthand side of the nose, for example. It doesn't look like natural silver patina. Personally, I think it's a copy of a known pattern. Hopefully, some of the other guys will chime in too.

[camgrant23]

Thanks for your reply and help. There is also a seller ive found who has a website and company called “ostlandmilitaria”.. have you seen or heard of it? Here is a screenshot of his website with rings for sale, and some he sent me qdo any of these look legit to you? The tank tread one or any of the skull canteen type ones?

[SpitfireVb]

Thanks for your reply and help. There is also a seller ive found who has a website and company called “ostlandmilitaria”.. have you seen or heard of it? Here is a screenshot of his website with rings for sale, and some he sent me qdo any of these look legit to you? The tank tread one or any of the skull canteen type ones?

Yeah, I know Ostland Militaria and the guy who runs it. Based in Lithuania. In fact, I bought a couple of rings from him recently. Unlike so many militaria dealers, he seems like an honest guy and he has some cool stuff on his site... but it always pays to check stuff out before you spend your money.

Note that the rings from Ostland Militaria whose photos you posted are Russian, early 20th Century. They're cool-looking and, I think, very reasonably priced.

Good luck!
Stephen