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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: The_Reginald on March 14, 2012, 06:10:10 pm

Title: Old skull ring
Post by: The_Reginald on March 14, 2012, 06:10:10 pm
Any idea what year this was made and where ect?
Title: Re: Old skull ring
Post by: The_Reginald on March 14, 2012, 06:11:09 pm
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Title: Re: Old skull ring
Post by: The_Reginald on March 14, 2012, 06:11:54 pm
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Title: Re: Old skull ring
Post by: The_Reginald on March 14, 2012, 06:12:55 pm
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Title: Re: Old skull ring
Post by: mart on March 14, 2012, 06:31:47 pm
Where did you get it and is it marked inside the band with anything ?? The band looks like Native American work  !!
Title: Re: Old skull ring
Post by: The_Reginald on March 14, 2012, 06:35:44 pm
My mom said someone gave it to my grandfather back in ww2 and he doesn't know anything about it. I'll have to ask him myself when I get a chance.
Title: Re: Old skull ring
Post by: adam82376 on March 14, 2012, 06:55:55 pm
you might want to check up on German symbols. I've seen that bird symbol before just can't remember where, it does look like a totem bird....But from wwII i don't think so. Look for markings inside the band too. Go over the piece with a jewelers loop.Native American Indian pieces usually,"now I use that loosely" have stones in the rings from turquoise to topaz and rarely a skull I'm thinking German.
Title: Re: Old skull ring
Post by: talesofthesevenseas on March 14, 2012, 06:58:25 pm
It looks like your ring is German. This is not an area I'm familiar with, so perhaps someone else can help more. If you run a Google image search for WWII skull ring, a lot of similar ones come up, but I do not see one exactly like yours. I also tried the same search with eagle and arrows and still no exact match but several very similar with the eagle on them.
Title: Re: Old skull ring
Post by: mart on March 14, 2012, 07:46:20 pm
Could be German !! I have never seen a Native American ring with a skull !! That symbol like a thunderbird on the side along with the geometric symbols just hit me as Indian !! 
Title: Re: Old skull ring
Post by: adam82376 on March 14, 2012, 08:10:57 pm
lol mart....just saying not a human skull anyways
Title: Re: Old skull ring
Post by: CuriousCollector on March 15, 2012, 06:16:35 am
One hates to paint any group with a broad brush, but GENERALLY speaking......many Germans have a "thing" for Native American history and culture.   Wouldn't surprise me if it's a German hodge-podge of what they think a Native ring would look like.  In which case, it would be fairly modern -- 20th century, likely.  That's just my guess, BTW.
Title: Re: Old skull ring
Post by: mart on March 15, 2012, 08:17:57 am
Never thought about that CC !!  A cross culture blend ??
Title: Re: Old skull ring
Post by: KC on March 15, 2012, 12:39:53 pm
My first impression was German....but the side does look like an Indian totem.....it usually is an eagle holding a swastika.

The skull (Totenkopf) was a traditional SS symbol.  They also used Runic script (ancient German alphabet long before the SS) so you need to view your symbols and this script/alphabet.

Word of caution:  The SS Honor ring is the most sought after ring and is the one faked the most.  The best site I found to try and help you rule out is this one:
http://user.xmission.com/~ixtlan/Ring-Project.htm (http://user.xmission.com/~ixtlan/Ring-Project.htm)

Some typical runes seen on these rings
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6a/Ring-runes.gif/350px-Ring-runes.gif)

Title: Re: Old skull ring
Post by: KevinB on March 15, 2012, 12:56:22 pm
I'm going to guess Mexican. I have seen alot of Mexican rings similar to this one.
Title: Re: Old skull ring
Post by: jondar on March 16, 2012, 12:16:34 pm
In my humble opinion I think the ring is German.  Genuine or repro I can't tell.  Here's a picture of one now on sale at Ebay, represented as genuine.  If its an honor ring then it would be one presented by Himmler to some member of his organization for something honorable, either real or perceived, that he or she had done.  But as noted, Caveat Emptor.
Title: Re: Old skull ring
Post by: rockandrollrods on March 16, 2012, 10:30:56 pm
More than likely German. The skull is not an official SS or Third Reich symbol. Generally, the crossed bones are behind the jaw, and the vast majority of them have the skull tilted a bit to make it appear to be looking in a different direction. But a more common trait is the larger nose cavity (forgive my lack of anatomy language skills). It very well could be German from WWII, but I really doubt that it was in any way commissioned by the Nazis.

The sharpness of the lines and the shape of it would also indicate German to me. It would be an easy sell to a musician (us rock and rollers are known for our loud taste in jewelry haha) and many others I'm sure. The pictures aren't detailed enough for me to make an estimate on age though.

It very well could be Mexican and sold to tourists. But I've been down to Mexico enough times and it's too subtle to be a Rosarito special. The merchants at the stands prefer over sized skulls, iron crosses, and in generally, a lot more shine and polished look to them. I'm sticking with my theory that it's German.