Private purchase Deathshead ring

**Adrian Stevenson** · 05-09-2008, 10:46 AM

Hi Guys, Raymond asked about showing any private purchase rings in another thread.

These rings and many, many, other patterns could be bought by any soldier regardless of branch of service. They were advertised in Newspapers of the time. I have seen a member of the Police wearing this exact pattern ring.

Deathshead rings were popular with many SS men who had not been awarded the SS ring.

This example was taken from a dead German soldier in Normandy. You can see it was well worn. Hallmarked for silver content.

Another deathshead ring in my collection can be seen here. (Well the remains of it anyway) But not worn by an SS man :

https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/germa...pow-group.html

Cheers, Ade.

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 05-09-2008 10:46 AM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**wolf100** · 05-21-2009, 09:51 AM

Nice ring, Ade. Nice to see you here,too.

I´m new here and would like to say hello in my first thread here.

I´m a member in the waf, gdc, mff and wwm for years. I´m a ringcollector and lhave learned a lot from my mate, Gaspare. I hope i can help you a little bit with private purchase rings.

Back to this thread. It is a well known, good looking skull ring.I

**Adrian Stevenson** · 05-21-2009, 09:55 AM

Nice to see you here too, welcome!

Thanks for the kind comments on the ring. I just love how it has been worn.

Cheers, Ade.

**Adrian Stevenson** · 05-21-2009, 07:13 PM

Hi, this one came from a relative in Canada

I have owned it some 30 years now. All I know is it was taken in Normandy.

Cheers, Ade.

**BOB COLEMAN** · 05-21-2009, 07:54 PM

Ade-
I got an identical piece from a vet back in the mid 70's. He had fourteen daggers, three helmets, three SS dog tags and the ring.
I sold the ring a long time ago. I still have another SS ring I got out of a typical cigar box full of vet's stuff(I loved those cigar boxes. It was usually a pile of common stuff but there usually were a couple of treasures mixed in). The ring is plain silver with a silver plate on the front with the SS runes. It is real but no one in today's world would believe it to be so. I put it away in a safe spot and have yet to find where the safe spot is.

**John Brandon** · 05-21-2009, 07:57 PM

Ade, I love the ring, but love the story that goes with it, tremendous

Do you, or anyone else know anything on honour ring documents?

**John Brandon** · 05-21-2009, 07:59 PM

by BOB COLEMAN

It is real but no one in today's world would believe it to be so

Bob, that is the best statement i have heard in a very long time. Too much scepticism, and not enough faith in todays market.................. Hope you find that "safe" place soon

**BOB COLEMAN** · 05-21-2009, 08:23 PM

by John Brandon

Ade, I love the ring, but love the story that goes with it, tremendous

Do you, or anyone else know anything on honour ring documents? :

John-
I have an original that came with the Alfred Arnold grouping. If you do not want to post it, you can send me a picture. I can compare yours against mine. It is not my field of expertise but I am sure there was only one source for the document-possibly printed by the SS themselves

**John Brandon** · 05-21-2009, 08:51 PM

Bob I would appreciate that.Thanks.

I doubt if it is real, the facsimile looks wrong, but there is always an outside chance. One of the reasons I've never put it up for sale is that I was unsure, although a "top" dealer, stuffed me with it

I was going to auction it here on the forum, and let Dimas keep the proceeds. That still might be an option.

I will take some photos now, and start another thread. Bob...thanks

**BOB COLEMAN** · 05-22-2009, 12:53 AM

The Arnold family SS material was sold in three basic groupings.
The first was material relating to Brigadefuhrer Alfred Arnold Sr., the second grouping was material belonging to Sturmbannfuhrer Alfred Arnold Jr., an officer with Totenlopf and the third was a large grouping of books given to Arnold Sr. from notable 3rd Reich personalities such as Himmler and Darre, who was a close family friend. My grouping is the material that belonged to Arnold Jr., which was also the largest grouping of material. A few items were sold off seperately such as Sr.'s black dress visor cap, the family guest book and some of the family library. I own the family guest book and also a book on Tibet, given to Sr. atJul season by Himmler. As we know, Himmler mounted an SS expedition to Tibet prior to the war as he and some of his scientific friends thought Tibet was the origin of the Aryan people