UBB.threads Forums Thread Like Summary - Dakring 1942 without Swastica

On the front above are Gotic capitals , I think it is G_B ? Inside is engraved B_G .
May be there is another letter between them.

I can imagine that the local Arabic craftsman did not copy the capitals correct….….for him it are foreign signs in another language…..For us not all of these capitals are to read easily.
Perhaps the German soldier showed him his own ring with these Gotic capitals on it or he draw them on a paper as an example ?

Yes indeed, here an example of this wild simple embellishment engraving on the front of the ring.

First pic is from the item ring here above.
Second pic is from a little dak ring front engraving. I posted this ring some time ago.

Both have the same type of handling.

Gaspare, Stephen,
About the engraving techinique, I post here an old Tuareg ring from Africa ( Lybia, Marocco, Algeria).

Often one sees that a straight thin line is cut in one time.
Here the thin outside frontlines and inside marks, made the tool a straight pearled line by a special technique of very little moves.

As Benten says an interesting detail is (what appears to be) niello upon the shanks, sometimes niello was also incorporated into the cartouche design, or upgraded with golden highlights. Agree with his assessment that it’s a ready made campaign blank with a niello set pattern that was ready made for the soldier with personalization. 1941 was the founding of the dak, nothing to do with campaign dates, but yes- 1942 was of course a fighting year and an occupation (at least part of the year) year for the dak in North Africa. I think it’s an interesting piece, my thought is it was a German soldier who had obviously not looked into the crystal ball too deeply as to what would come at the end of 1942 and 43,44 etc. Maybe just wanted it made with the date he was there, as campaign pieces tend to be. We know the official patterned and sold dak rings in catalogs had a classic design but of course a traditional dak 41 date with swas and often palm tree etc.

[img]http://present from my wife[/img]

You guys must remember,,the days the nazis pulled out of Africa the next was prayers, a bit of partying, maybe rest and the day after it was back in business.... SO, instead of the gruff nasty nazis they got some polite British and a small smattering of relic hunting Americans... Rats and roaches don't care either. They / we all need to eat,,,,and some want a souvenir to take or send home for themselves OR something to send their sweeties etc.! Again,,remember only the customers have changed....

- * This ring has DAK on it. Could be one of the last pulling out/retreating men.....

I have a series of photos from a street market in Afrika. In them what looks like an abandoned corner store there is a small amount of these DAK rings already made and a small workbench.... A couple nazi DAK soldiers looking at the wares... With many of the rings the top of the cartouche is blank... Very easy for a DAK man to place an order with their initials on it,,or something else. IF they couldn't wait they would pass by the next day to pick up,,IF its nothing too complicated it could probably be done within 20 min or so.. *****[ a couple of these photos a few are posted in one of the DAK ring threads]

I think that is what this ring is.. A nice piece and a bit of a mystery....