ring Identification

[cavinkeven]

I didn't find this with a detector. It belonged to my grandpa who was in WW2. I've always been told that one of his friends took it off of a dead German soldiers hand and gave it to my grandpa. I don't know if this is true or not. But when I scan it with my detector(ace250) it reads as a dime. I'm new to all of this so I don't know what silver actually shows up as, but the dime falls on the edge of the silver scale. The inside of the band has 800 stamped in it. Maybe somebody that knows about rings can tell if it is a German design or something. On the side of the band is a leaf and a vine which u can see used to go around the back of the band to the other side. It is very large, will barely go up on my middle finger. Thanks for any help.
[attachment 46144 ring001.jpg]
[attachment 46143 ring002.jpg]

 

[Steve(Can)]

Interesting find, cavin.

The motifs on your ring look like the Oak leaves and Serpents (not vines) on Nazi Anti-Partisans Rings


Here are a few links to similar rings, though nothing that looks identical.

http://seifukuwatch.kir.jp/english_ring_toppage.htm


Interesting story: Anti-Partisans Badge
As early as 1941 and right up until the end of the war, partisans carried out guerrilla operations behind the operational lines of the Wehrmacht. In their efforts to check these insurrectionary groups,German armed forces faced a new form of combat - one fought against irregular troops that attacked rear areas and logistics lines and then retreated into forests or mixed in with the civilian population. Although they depended on them, the Partisans were very often ruthless against their own people, stealing from them in order to survive. Add to this the fact that the native population often suffered retributions at the hands of the Germans for the acts of these fighting civilians, and very people the partisans were supposed to be fighting to liberate habitually turned against them.

All combat theatres experienced this type of fighting to some degree, from the the Soviet Union, Balkan and Adriatic coast to Italy and France. Virtually all branches of the German Armed Forces were utilized in controlling this form of terrorism. Anti-partisan warfare was not only entrusted to the to the Army, security troops (Sipo, SD), Feldgendarmerie and Police units, but also to the Waffen SS (Karstj

 

[cavinkeven]

Got this reply on another forum........


Nazi Waffen SS death's head ring. 800 is low grade silver, but the silver content isn't the important thing to a collector of WWII relics. Those are pretty sought after by collectors if its authenticated.

I did a search and didn't see any identical but very similar. Thanks for the info!!

 

[Marc(NB)]

heres a good site that will help you on your search.From what I saw your ring isn't a Nazi death head ring.There should be an inscription written inside the band.Hope this helps.

http://www.germaniainternational.com/ss12.html

 

[ivansalis]

thats a nazi deathhead "SS" symbol on the ring -- bad boys-- those guys hunted down and killed any pro ally frenchmen and women often tracking them down in the back allies in the city & woods in the country side-- your gramps freind most likely would have had to have killed or been with a group that killed the "SS" german it was taken from---no quarter was given--- it was kill or be killed----very dirty stuff---- because you could be stopped and searched at anytime the frenchman would not want it to be found on him --a very slow and painful death was assured if the nazi's found it on you (the "SS" would know you killed one of them to get it and would give you and your family the "full treatment") --the friend must have liked your gramps alot as this was mostly likely a very "hard won" item --800 means 80% pure silver ***.925 or 92.5%(serling) was a bit too soft and would bend & damage too easy so the germans used 80%--- some of the WWII nazi stuff is worth BIG BUCKS to collectors of that sort of stuff. thought you should know. the "SS" also ran the death camps.

 

[ivansalis]

pure evil type folks ---they were guards at and ran the death camps, they also hunted down pro ally folks in france and other countries---they were hard core nazi types---took their orders to kill without any questions and had NO MERCY--they were well known for their cruel and mean nature --the rings they wore were a source of pride (and power)to their owners (they could have you and your family killed or sent to the death camps) and so they were greatly feared(and hated) the only way to get the ring was to kill one of them. if you were caught with one of the rings by the germans, you were assured a slow and painful death for "killing" on of the "pure blood breathern" plus your family died as well(if they could find them /get to them). the 800 means 80% pure silver*** 925 is sterling silver(92.5%) but it was too soft and would bend and break too easily. for some of WWII nazi collectors this is a highly prized item.***however you should be be proud that your gramps risked his life to help defend the USA from those monsters and beat them.and this ring reminds folks that it did happen and the high price that was paid,as many good men and women didn't come home from the war. Ivan Salis