UBB.threads Forums Uniform & Accessories The Honor Ring Forum My HR after 34 years

This ring has never been in a collection. I first saw it in 1971 and today the vet sold it to me. I apologize in advance for the quality of the pictures. Whenever I shrink anything down to fit on GDC a lot of detail is lost. Any and all comments would be appreciated.
My area of interest has always been firearms and edged weapons and will be the first to admit that this is an area of collecting that I know nothing about.
The ring is dated 7.3.36 and the name appears to be Warch. Does anyone have the 1936 Dienstalterliste showing his info? Also, any ideas as to the value?
Thanks in advance, guys.
p.s. If it's a fake, I just wasted 34 years.

picture 2

Picture 3

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Last one - fire away!

Hi Denny:
From what I can see you have a 100% original totenkopf Honor ring. The wear to me is interesting in that I feel it's typical of something that was produced from pure silver.
Jim

Hi Denny, at first the skull looks too big, but I think that is due to the photos and the ring size being so small it makes the skull sometimes look big.. Can you see the seam? How about engraving,can you see start marks from entering with the tool in the letters?

The date is a good one, for re occupation of the Rhineland. Don't think you wasted those years,from the photos so far it looks like a good one! Come on now try and get some better shots for us to oogle over! , G.

march 7th,not a common date.i would also like to see inscription pics.looks good so far.
mark

Hi Denny,

You are one patient man, 34 years wow.

If you want, you can email me the full size pix & I'll work on them to see if we can get them any clearer for the forum. I don't doubt that it's probably good, but I'm sure you'd like to know one way or another.

My email is in my profile, just remove the "nospam" bit.

Cheers
Don

Hello and thanks for the kind comments. Don, thanks for your offer to work with the picture. Before I do that, I'll try one more time.

That's a super looking ring!

Well, that seems to have worked a bit better.
Side view of the bottom of the skull.

Top of skull

Recipient's name. Not sure if the 2nd letter is a "u" or an "a".

Date - March 7, 1936

The big boy

The seam?

Last one.

Can anyone help me with further information on the recipient of this? Also, an approximate value would be most helpful.

When I first saw this ring in 1971, the gentleman also had a pole top for a Luftwaffe Regimental Standarte. The pole top had leather wing tip protectors that I had never seen before. Of course I have been trying to buy both the poletop & ring. About 6 months ago, the poletop was knocked off a shelf in the garage and shattered on the concrete floor. Evidently all the pieces were thrown away.
Now I have to go after his Lugers, daggers and many other items. Stay tuned!

from the photos looks like you have a winner!.
You should check out the guys doing the searches ,I think you only pay if they get a hit on your man..Usually makes the ring more interesting and 'sellable'... , G.

Nice ring,small size. If it was not to anyone 'interesting' then I would say in the $4000 bracket.
Congrats. I hope you get years of enjoyment from it ,or are you selling it ?

According to DAL from december 36:
WARCH Hermann, TK-ring, 59.Sta, party membership# 324438, elite guard membership# 54279, born on 14.june.89, became UStf on 9.nov.35.

BFCM
What if it was to an" interesting" person, how much would that increase the price? Thansk, Ron

Ron ,thats a difficult question to answer.As always with attributable pieces it really does depend who it was awarded to. For instance For a member of the LAH involved in various battles I would pay premium,perhaps double of what I suggested.
Value is hard to say,thats why I suggested $4K ,I have seen them in that condition for that price offered privatly in the past 6 months.

BFCM
Can I email you off line? Ron

Of course you can Ron,my e-mail should be on the profile page, I will go check.

Gaspare, Jon & Wotan - Thank you for all your kind help.

Denny

Good one Denny, good luck with the rest of the stuff.

Nice ring!

Proves the truth in the old saying.......

"Everything comes to he who waits".

The wait was worth it!

Thanks Robin,
My usual philosophy is taken from the proverbial aggressive Vulture - "Patience my a$$, I'm gonna go kill something".

One last, probably dumb question. My ring is worn completely smooth on the bottom exterior and shows no trace of runes.
Were the early rings like this one identical to the later ones that I see showing not as much wear? In other words, did my ring have these runes when it was new?
Thanks.....

Yes!

Thanks!

At Gaspare's request, here is more info on the owner of this ring, per Rob McDivitt.

Hermann Warch - SS-Ausweis-Nr. 54279
14.06.89 - Born in Braunschweig
23.01.18 - Married Luise Ferrari (born 25.02.91)
00.00.24 - Joined a youth organization
01.10.30 - Joined the NSDAP - Mitglied-Nr. 324438
01.06.32 - Joined the SS - SS-Ausweis-Nr. 54279
09.11.35 - Promoted to SS Untersturmführer
20.04.43 - Promoted to SS Obersturmführer

Occupation - Shopkeeper

WWI
Served in 124 Infantrie Regiment - 122 Infantrie Regiment & Ersatzreserve

SS Duty Assignments
01.06.32 - 20.10.36 Nachrichtenführer, Feld Nachrichten Sturm/59 SS Standarte
20.10.36 - 15.06.37 Sugführer, 12 SS-Sturm/59 SS-Standarte "Löper"
15.06.37 - 15.03.38 Führer im Stammabteilung "Mitte"/59 SS-Standarte "Löper"
15.03.38 - ?? Führer im 59 SS-Standarte "Löper"

Documented Awards
1914-18 EKII
Black Wound Badge
Württembergische Service Medal in Silver
1914-18 Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
Totenkopfring der SS (07.03.36)
Julleuchter
Dienstauszeichnungen der NSDAP III class
Kriegverdienstkreuz II Klass (1943)

Although I would have liked for this ring to have been owned by an SS General or an RK winner, I'm still pleased with this nice representative piece. All I need now, is a picture of Herr Warch. Since he evidently had a somewhat uneventful career in the SS, I doubt I'll get that lucky.
Thanks for reading guys - any comments are welcome.

Thanks Denny,,Pretty thorough...IF he died during the war you stand a good chance of getting his photo from the DEUTSCHE DIENSTSTELLE (WASt)..I've had a couple of friends receive copies of the photo ID page from the Soldbuch and Wehrpass..They are slow and it usually take 4-5 months for results.. , G.

WASt link


*

Thanks for the link Gaspare.

Are you all sure that the ring name is "Warch" and not "Wurch"? That second letter looks more like a U than an A. "Wurch" is also a fairly common German last name. Might be at least worth checking in the Dienstalterliste.

Nice ring either way though!

After looking again, I am absolutely positive that the last name on that ring is "Wurch". That is a "U" not an "A".

Anyone have a list handy?

I guess noone agrees with me. Oh well.