Das Reich ring!

[Patrick W]

Hi Guys

Thought I would post this interesting item that just came in- appears to be authentic on inspection. It is a cheap silver canteen style ring of the type that could be commonly purchased by soldiers at the time and the owner has very carefully scratched in the unit details and also his name and date. Appears well worn, anyone seen something like this before?

Many thanks

Patrick

[Patrick W]

,,,,

[CWP]

The correct designation for this unit was SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 2. Without the SS, this would be for an Army unit, but the "Das Reich" part clearly is referring to the SS unit. The way this unit abbreviation is inscribed is not convincing at all to me. Usually on unit marked and personalized items like this I would expect to see the company designation (or squadron, in the case of an Aufklärungs-Abteilung). The name and date inside seem rather over the top to me. Items like this are hard to authenticate but this one, for me, has enough red flags to give it a definite "no."

[sgstandard]

Ring

The inside inscription is clearly meant to suggest it was hand-engraved. But this is not the work of a competent German engraver. I'd pass too.

[Gaspare]

well its not a commercially made for retail ring..
It appears like the 'campaign' rings..DAK, Krim,etc. where you see hand made rings..... Could be good, could be bad,,no way to date it...

[sgstandard]

Ring

I don't really disagree with what Gaspare says, but my point was that we're supposed to believe the inside was hand-engraved. But it's virtually impossible to deeply engrave the inside of such a ring without engraving tools. IMO, that inside inscription was carved in wax, and then cast into the ring. A real jeweler would have hand-engraved such a piece, not carved the name in wax.

[Gaspare]

sgstandard,,, Oh, I agree with you totally... But there have been times where the craftpeople did have engravers etc. ,like [again] the DAK and Krim and the bands got engraved...
This piece a little hard to see,,the rubbing in of color doesn't make it any easier ,,,and if the nomenclature is wrong, or terminology, or anything that leaves a doubt its best not to fool with it..

[Patrick W]

Thanks for the comments guys, as I said in the first post, the 'engraving' has been IMO done by the owner and not with any kind of proper tool, more a sharp implement, and very carefully done as well which would lend me to believe that this item is period. It is definitely not cast in letters- the name inside the loop is scratched in as well, also although it's hard to make out the name has bottom and then top umlauts or double commas which is very typically German and you can see the same in the Bevo Der Fuhrer cuff .
As far as the unit designation being wrong, possibly that makes the whole piece wrong, maybe not. In hand I like it very much, thanks again

[Lasse L]

My few cents;

According to a friend, the Aufklärungs Abteilung of Das Reich was simply known as "SS-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 2 "Das Reich"" during 1942. The designation "SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abt. 2" came later.

Also, I would expect the abrivation to be "SS-Pz-Aufkl. Abt 2" not "Aufk. Abtl".