UBB.threads Forums Uniform & Accessories The Honor Ring Forum Italian Fascist rings

I like to check old posts here; there’s a lot of cool stuff on our back pages. Apart from Italian-made DAK rings, we haven’t had any Italian rings for a few years. There are several patterns and a bunch of posts on this topic that you can find in the search function at the top right of the page. Search for ‘Italian’ or ‘Fascist’ or ‘Mussolini’.

The two links below are posts from Evgeniy showing a Mussolini ring.
- https://forum.germandaggers.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=66487&Board=38

- https://forum.germandaggers.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=348136

The photos show a couple of Italian rings from my collection. The Mussolini is the same pattern as Evgeniy’s. Both are made of a brass-like alloy with a silver-coloured wash applied. Neither has any markings.

The ring with the swastika and fasces is a heavy brute of brass with a silver wash. The swastika/fasces pattern also came in silver and gold (see link below). Very cool!
- https://forum.germandaggers.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=318957

Interestingly, this pattern was also available in Bakelite and aluminium. You’ll find it if you search ‘Bakelite’.

These rings were made in honour of the Axis Of Steel pact between Germany and Italy, and sold when Hitler and Mussolini visited each other.

And, if all that doesn’t satisfy you, here’s a link to other cool Italian rings on the forum:
- https://forum.germandaggers.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=329905&page=1

Here's my contribution , have only seen one other Bakelite type .

Two beauties. Thanks for posting.

I want to add a comment - the ring from the fashi is coated with chrome.
I haven't seen silver plating at all because it's a soft metal and will wear off quickly, so chrome is preferable

Thanks Evgeniy. Good point. I actually meant silver-coloured wash rather than silver metal. Sorry for the confusion.

yeah pretty rare to see chrome back then on a ring. And yes that bakelite example very rare! There is also 2 versions of the woman's ring. Same with Swas and Lictor Bundle but some fancy leafs on it. These use to be around regularly,,,but with more and more collecting rings you rarely see them for sale anymore. You see a fair priced one, grab it!

So I know this ring is in one of the links. But, they were old photos so I decided to get the photos of how the ring really looked. A Fascist Italian paratrooper ring! Rare to say the least. A real beauty * This no longer belongs to me. It went to a experienced ring collector whos area of interest ring wise is Italian fascist rings. I hated to see it go but he's a good guy, good collector, and he'll take care and admire it better than most. So I was happy to see it go into his collection.

Also, one of the Italian womens fascist rings mentioned above. Not really sure how many versions, but at the least 2. This fine example belonged to the late great Jim Modena. [RIP]

Those are beauties for sure! Thanks Gaspare.

Thank you G.......for kind words.

"Your" Italian paratrooper ring is really a beauty and proudly stay in my fascist rings collection.

Ric

I'm glad Ric. I know you love it thats why its where it is!

- What do you think is your rarest and favorite Fascist ring?

G.
hard to answer to your interesting question, as I own many that I love... and your paratrooper ring is among them of course. That said I did recently find something you really do not see that often and if you consider how many potential buyers could wear it, you understand why I believe it's very rare.

This ring was originally made for italian U-boat crews, but surprisingly surfaced in Germany, and to my request of explanation, here's what seller reported about provenance: "All I know is that the owner of the ring was U-boat officer in Bremen in WWll and that his wife gave it to him as a wedding anniversary gift. Maybe his wife was italian."

As usual ring is by silver, while 2 U-boots on band along with fish on cartouche are by gold (tested)

I hope you like it as I do

Ric

Ric, that is an amazing ring. What craftsmanship. Never seen anything like it. It even surfaced in Germany. That's what submarines are supposed to do every now and then... .

Thanks for sharing with us.
Stephen

That is a very nice ring!!

Here are some more Italian Fascist rings, including Gaspare's (now Ric's) super paratrooper ring. Might as well get 'em all together in one post:

https://forum.germandaggers.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=55041&page=1

Ric, That really is something! Probably a one of a kind ring [?] Yes that would right up there in my favorites too! Thanks for the treat!

For me this is one of the best... Starts out as a round silver ring, gilt inner and hallmarked. Then applied to silver outside are panels depicting each of the Fascist armed forces emblems. This one in the original box [matches hallmark], near mint and unissued, still in wrapper when I first got it!. I've only seen a few of these over the years and not boxed examples. A beautiful and unique ring!

G. making this nice ring will take a lot of good craftmanship. A very good piece.

, yes the above ring must have been very hard to manufacture! Not exactly sure how made but each emblem had to be put on separately an already hand decorated band!. Then I guess the round inner somehow was put in and soldered[?]


- * Well here's a photo of a group of some of the Italian rings I have.........

I thought it would be relevant to bring up R.S.I. rings in this thread. The Repubblica Sociale Italiana (Italian Social Republic), as some of you know, was the German puppet Fascist State in Italy from 1943-45.

R.S.I. rings cropped up a few days ago on the WAF Ring Forum so I did a bit of digging here in GDC. Sure enough, we have a couple of old posts showing R.S.I. rings. The links are below.

https://forum.germandaggers.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=138722#Post138722

https://forum.germandaggers.com/ubb...Words=italian&Search=true#Post329713

The R.S.I. ring below was originally posted by Ring Man but I believe that it currently resides in member Ric Ferrari's collection.

Stephen,, yes a cool looking skull. Simply made. I'm still surprised at that most of their rings are AL. and the others with inner gilding. And, they are usually very well hallmarked. Although this skull and their AL series are not hallmarked.

This lovely Italian ring has already been posted by Gaspare. It is possibly unique and might be the most amazing ring I’ve seen... and I am now the lucky owner There’s a link above and I won’t reiterate what’s already been stated. I will just share with you each face of this amazing hexagonal ring.

First is a religious motif. The text around the depiction of Mary holding her child reads: ‘Vergine di Loreto Proteggimi (Virgin of Loreto, protect / pray for me)’. This refers to a shrine to the Virgin Mary housed in the Basilica della Santa Casa in the Italian town of Loreto. The shrine contains a small statue called The Black Madonna of Our Lady of Loreto. The statue is shown on one face of the ring. The other faces each have a motif that represents the various Italian armed forces in WW2. I think it's a beauty.

Great photos! , , Unique in its construction.. Looks great!!!!

Stephen , good pics, an interesting ring also concerning the technique how the goldsmith made it.

I presume that inner ring was done first with the chosen ring size.

Then the faceted outer ring …. Starting with a strip of silver …acurate length size around the inner ring with distances , squares, for graving on the facets .

Engraving decoration on the facets . Molding and gilding the figures and putting them on the facets.( may be done last).
Forming , bending the faceted strip: This is very difficult: 1 it has to fit around the inner ring.
and 2 it has to be flat to the surface, 3 it has to close, so the vertical seam can be soldered.

May be it was done in an other way ?? , However, nice to have a look at it, a very skilled piece of work .

I know little about silversmithing or jewellery making, Benten, thanks; your suggestions are sensible. I'm glad I didn't have to make the ring before obtaining it . I wonder how many others there are like it.
Stephen