Some may of noticed this example, and many probably passed it as a fake.. However i had a good feeling on this one straight away and could pic up many good points, all in all i won the auction.
The ring is 'apparantly' that of a now deceased R.H Hunnings, who i was told played his role in a panzer division, and originated from Berlin. At his estate sale parts of his uniform, binoculars, medals, and general possesions were sold off. His uniform according to what i was told reached silly amounts of money, anyway the previous owner found the ring in a job lot of costume jewelry and junk.
The good points i can see...
Faded or dirty hallmark on the back of the ring, you can make out 800.
Good period design and manufacturing technique.
Allthough patina can be created very well this patina has the 'genuine look'
The eyes are painted red, in such a design this was not rare, i have a similar ring with faded red eyes.
what appears to be a joining seam, or in my eyes a resizing seam to the side of the skull, i have never seen a band joined in such a place so my only idea is a resize later in its life.
Upon zooming in on parts of the ring, lines and slight gaps appear around the head and bones where the skull 'may' of been attached seperate, i will only find out for certain when i receive it.
The depth of the skull, when compared with a fake ring in this pattern, is much less than that of a fake and more suited to the real pattern.
The slight dent to the left of the skull could suggest it is hollow, or perhaps just been drilled or cast like this.
Despite the many positive signs this ring in my opinion it was a gamble, and i can only hope for the best!
