Hello!
Rings are not my area so I need a little help here. I found a very with a few rings. The one I am interested in is a silver SS ring with a black enamel backgound. The enamel has a few slight chips, the silver is nicely patina-ed, the only internal markings are 2 stamps (oneinthe shape of a tiny sword, and the other in the chape of a tiny square or perhaps octogon. Both stamps are "filled in" with patina.
I am really looking for a "good" or "Bad" call on this one and a rough estimate of value. I think that IF I buy it I will do so in order to sell it reasonably.
The other ring (seen in the backgound) is a simple god "wedding band" type ring with a raised square and raised swastika, very petite. It has bout 10 internal stamps (seriously!) but all are extremely small and I did not have a loop (or my camera) and the seller was unable to take pics. of the internal stampings. Have you seen anything like this before???
If it helps, the ring is part of a groupong which all came from a vet (the guys father) and the other stuff seems to check out OK. The pics. I have are his (and poor) but I did inspect the ring in person today.
THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP!!!!
Johnny

Second Pic. (ring in backgound)

O.K. Johnny,,,well, it is a good known pattern. Problrm is as with everything in our hobby its been reproduced postwar..
Is it true enamel? Glassy looking?
Do the SS runes stand proud of the black field?
Do you see a join line/ sizeing seam in the band,,might be very hard to see it the solder is a good match..

If you can,,get a good shot of the front,,and please, try a shot of the 'sword' mark..

The gold ring,,, Please try and either make out the marks or get a shot,,and a better shot of the front... Thanks , G.

Gaspere!
Enamel DOES look like glass 100%, a bit scuffed up, but glassy.
SS runes are patinaed and very well formed and are flush with the enamel (as I remember... but I am not 100% sure, they may have been very slightly raised), they too are tarnishing like the rest of the ting.
Yes, there is a sizing seam, I remember noticing it. Nothing horrible, but definately there.

photo very poor , but i saw SS ring like this

if a ring is a one looker i would gamble on this, as said ,no one can be 100 % sure its not post war. at the right price go for it, phil

Thanks guys for the input. Sorry about getting back to this thread so late.
I am getting the grouping, everything else in it checks out OK (the only worry are the rings)and I believe the group has always been together.
Once I get the rings I will post good pics. here.
Thank you again for your help and please keep your fingers crossed (Druck die Daumen) for me!
Johnny

OK guys!
I have the ring in hand and took some good pics.
Please let me know if I need to show anythign further.
All input APPRECIATED!!!
Thank you!
Johnny

#2

#3

Sizing seam:

Side:

Johnny,
I'm no ring expert but that SS ring looks good to me. I like the silver, and tarnish looks like "original patina", not like that black "soot" the fakers use to give the collectors all the "Patina" they want.

I hope our experts here give it the "thumbs -up"! - Original SS rings are just great and make a nice display. Congrats!

Best,
-serge-

Nothing wrong with that,,a fine original...

Thank you SO much for your input Gaspere!!! Rings are not my area of expertise and I really appreciate your help!
Johnny

nice ring johnny v been trying to get one for years well done anyone out there with any more

Again, I wanted to thank everyone for the input!
I also had a few additional questions.
Firstly. Were these rings "mass produced" or is it possible to attibute the ring to a specific maker (via the internal markings).
Secondly, were there any controls on who was able to purchase a ring like this? Could anyone buy it, or were pieces like this only made available to "documented" SS members.
Thirdly, I have heard that the pattern on the sides of the ring are supposed to look like the tracks of a german tank. Is this true? If so, does it attribure the ring to an SS Panzer goup???
Fourthly. what are the internal stamps? A sword and... a square?? I am interested to learn all that I can.
Thanks again for all input.
Johnny

well done on getting this ring, in answer to your second question, it is my beleif that ss members NOT entitled to wear the totenkopferband, ss honour ring ,could buy these to wear .

Johnny,, anyone with the money could buy such a ring. Yes, they were mass produced to be sold retail .. They were sold at soldier supply stores,,jewelry stores, mail order, and even at newspaper stands!

The ring is sometimes called the Wilm style SS ring. Wilm being a big time jewelry maker and findings supplyer during the war [and after]. But that styling is reflective of the times of 'Art Deco' and you'll see it commonly on a lot of jewelry pieces..

The few period German jewelers I interviewed for my project all have told me that usually no one had the balls ,so to say,,to buy a SS ring if they weren't in the SS! But, they also said most of the time it was a Mother or Wife that bought these rings for their family member.

The square mark you'd have to clean out and get a better photo of and maybe we could ID it..
Here's a topic [and check that link] that has a ring with your mark in it...
http://daggers.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/74097573/m...050019394#8050019394

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FANTASTIC information!!!
Thank you Gaspere!

Johnny