Condition: Excellent
Product Description: This is a great, original example of the extremely desirable SS Honor Ring. It shows a good deal of honest wear, typical of pre-war rings that were awarded. The heaviest wear is in the expected places, with some detail loss to the skull on the top as well as on the inner (palm) side. The runic emblems to either side of the central “Totenkopf” emblems are fairly well preserved, as is much of the oak leaf ornamentation. The inside of the band is engraved with the date “20. 4. 38” (Hitler’s birthday in 1938), a facsimile signature of Heinrich Himmler, and the last name of the recipient, an SS member named “Kobarg.” There is no silver content marking, as is correct for these. This SS Honor Ring is an absolutely textbook original piece, and an extremely sought-after and iconic item of SS regalia. These have become very hard to find.
Historical Description: The SS Honor Ring (SS-Ehrenring), also known by collectors as the Totenkopf Ring or the SS Totenkopf Ring, was a decoration of the SS during the Third Reich. Originally, the ring was awarded by SS leader Heinrich Himmler to SS members with membership numbers below 5000. Later, the ring was generally awarded to SS members who had completed course work at SS leadership schools. The ring was designed by SS-Gruppenführer Karl Maria Wiligut, as ordered by Himmler. It was made of silver and adorned on the top with a skull and crossbones, with Germanic runes and oak leaves around the band. The inside was engraved with the last name of the recipient, Himmler’s signature and the date of the award. The SS Honor Ring was awarded with a certificate that described the meaning of the ring. Until January, 1945, the rings of SS members who had died or who had left the SS were to be returned to the SS command. In total, about 16,000 SS Honor Rings were awarded before war’s end in 1945. Today, they are highly sought after collectibles.
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