Ss totenkopf honor ring real or fake axis history forum. It was not a state decoration, but rather a personal gift bestowed by himmler. Im guessing that it is a political style ring, as it could have easily been worn by an ss man. An illustrated history from munich to by craig gottlieb mint. Wwii ss death head ring german rings skull waffen totenkopf. The ring was never official, but among the effects of reinhard heydrich was an entwurf, or original design, for this item found among planned articles dated 1942. Also covered are design background, construction techniques, and an indepth analysis of the physical characteristics of rings. Thanks to the new no shrink molding proceedures the ring is a full 7mm. Ss totenkopf himmler honor ring book by don boyle rare. Its name, totenkopf, is german for deaths head the skull and crossbones symbol and it is thus sometimes referred to as the deaths head division. Most, if not all original totenkopfs are in the hands of respected dealers collectors.
Who, in their right mind would willfully damage an authentic ring by attempting to scratch out the most important part of a totenkopf. Unfollow ss totenkopf ring to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Ss totenkopf honor ring manufacture debate german daggers. See more ideas about rings, german and silver rings. It explains the infamous ss honor ring given out by ss chief heinrich himmler from 1933 to 1945. The beautiful, elegant silver ring is very thin and has oak leaves and swastikas alternating across the surface. In his report, sshauptsturmfuhrer adolf kurtz, the chef of 1. Gottlieb, craig, the ss totenkopf ring, from munich to nuremberg, schiffer, isbn 9780764330940. Himmler honor ring 19331945, has said of these rings. The skull and runic symbols are highly defined with outstanding relief on the exterior and the teeth on the skull remain intact and sharply defined. The ring retains excellent detail in all but the rear double runic panel, which is where most worn rings show wear.
An ss heimwehr danzig, ss totenkopf divisi see more like this ss totenkopf. The distinctive insignia were worn as cap or collar devices on many unique. Sep 11, 2017 the ss ehrenring ss honour ring, was an award of heinrich himmlers schutzstaffel ss. This ss nazi honor ring is assembled as a 2 piece ring with the totenkopf skull being silver soldered on to the rings band at the front over the sizing seam. The ss totenkopf ring goodreads meet your next favorite book. The ring was full of symbolism as you can see from the citation. In 2017 i wrote the book sstotenkopfring himmleruv prsten cti. Ss totenkopf honor ring high grade reddick militaria. Ww2 original german militaria nazi ss panzer totenkopf. Here is an original ring of the ss sd shutzstaffelsicherheitdienst. If you want an honor ring, or have one, the book is the best one on the market. He wore his treasured totenkopf black and silver honour title on his left hand cuff.
Its members were the real professionals of the security. Most, if not all original totenkopf s are in the hands of respected dealers collectors. Sspanzerdivision totenkopf was one of 38 divisions of the waffenss of nazi germany during world war ii. Inside the book you will find described fates of 26 officers whose rings i have in the collection. From the most stylish ss officers peaked visor to the crudest late war enlisted m43 cap, the sign of the totenkopf deaths head skull makes an ss cap instantly recognizable.
It was not a state decoration, but rather a personal. The totenkopf deaths head was one of the most readily recognized symbols of the nazi schutzstaffel ss, adolf hitlers elite black guard and ideal teutonic knighthood, along with other select germanic political and armed forces of the third reich period. The ss honor ring, sometimes incorrectly referred to as the wedding ring, was given by heinrich himmler as an award to ss officers. Most styles are made in one size, which averages 10 or 11, but they can be sized to fit by your local jeweler. In 2017 i wrote the book ss totenkopfring himmleruv prsten cti.
Wwii ss deaths head or totenkopf silver ring duration. Using modern tools not available to previous authors on this s. History of deaths head division 194045 by arthur donaldson quick free delivery in 214 days. Here is an original ring of the sssd shutzstaffelsicherheitdienst. Ss rings ww2 ring german ss ring totenkopf ss nazi ring. The skull and crossbones symbol is an old international symbol for death, the defiance of death, danger, or the dead, as well as piracy or toxicity. This was the organization so dreaded by the enemies of the reich. The distinctive insignia were worn as cap or collar devices on many unique paramilitary and military uniforms.
I spent 2 years by writing and searching in archives to save their story for you and the next generations. Here is a link to the book if you want to check up on any real rings for yourself. A brief note about my lack of pictures of the joseph sepp deitrich items they were definately suspect, didnt ring true at all, so i didnt bother showing you the pictures. However, it ranked as a senior award within the ss brotherhood, recognizing the wearers personal achievement, devotion to duty, and loyalty to the. Ww2 german c96 mauser broomhandle holster and stock.
Ring ss wwii german waffen deutscher volkssturm swastika. Photos photo albums 21 apply photos photo albums filter. The rings condition is suprisingly well maintained and displays nil visible wear. Ssobersturmfuhrer lieutenant erwin meierdress was as neat as a pin, and looked like a super ubermensch with attitude, with his field grey cap resting on his head, and his tankers goggles hanging over his black, patent leather peak. I have seen pictures of this ring or a similar one made from the same cast previously. Ss honor ring repro, copy ss ehrenring, high quality ss. Dont miss out on this rare opportunity to get a copy of this book. Some of the external markings totenkopf, wreath look a little dull which may suggest a mass produced repro born from a single mould. Total ratings 18, gray ww2 german elite wh army m35 m1935 steel helmet stahlhelm retro pretty. Although the number of dead senegalese and french troops number near 200 from the fighting, it is estimated around 50 of those were murdered by members of sstotenkopf after surrendering. The book also covers the prehistory of the totenkopf ring, placing its appearance onto the ss scene in historical context. Waffen ss totenkopf ring 23 apply waffen ss totenkopf ring filter.
They were all made in munich by otto gahr, who also sculpted some very fine busts of hitler one of which i was shown by a dealer as an original gahr, about 18 inches high, hollow bronze, and so valuable that it was not for sale and every ring was hand finished by particular companies that were supervised by otto. It explains the ring, and will help determine a real one from a fake. Apr 15, 2020 the totenkopf deaths head was one of the most readily recognized symbols of the nazi schutzstaffel ss, adolf hitlers elite black guard and ideal teutonic knighthood, along with other select germanic political and armed forces of the third reich period. German wwii m35 steel helmet stahlhelm 35 ww2 m1935. The ssehrenring ss honour ring, was an award of heinrich himmlers schutzstaffel ss. Ww2 original german militaria nazi ss panzer totenkopf items. Two styles are available in sizes 9, 10, 11 and 12. They have some of the most admired and sought after headgear by military collectors in the market today. The skull, or totenkopf, has all the proper features and the body of the ring has the correct runic symbols running around the outside. Ring made of silver, with separate attached totenkopf, inside with engraving s.