Civil War Battle Ring

RockyDig

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May 9, 2005
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I will soon be posting pics of a gold ring that a relative of mine owns. It is a gold ring with 16 battle names etched in it. The ring was featured in the North South Trader Civil War magazine in the mid 80's and then was voted Find of the Century by the subscribers around the year 2000. It has only been displayed at 2 or 3 relic shows. The last one was the Northern Virginia Relics Hunters show in Chantilly, VA in 2002. There were some great reactions by the public.

Anyway, I was excited for the chance to have photos taken of this and I will share them as soon as possible.
 

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RockyDig

RockyDig

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May 9, 2005
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Well, it's hard to appraise a one of a kind relic like this. From what I understand the sky is the limit. This ring belonged to a soldier who participated in many battles. I will have a complete list and pics very soon.
 

Steeler Fan

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Apr 3, 2005
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That kinda relic I would consider priceless! That is a true piece of American hoistory and I cannot wait to see those pics! hurry up and post them ;D

Steeler Fan
 

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RockyDig

RockyDig

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Well, here are the pics of the ring...please let me know what you think. This ring was dug in 1984 after being in the ground for around 115-120 years. It is in great shape considering the elements. It is gold plating on copper.

These pictures were taken by a local photographer Nate Rhodes. If you are interested in having great quality photos taken of your finds or if you'd like to let him know what you think of these pics just email him. His email address is [email protected].
 

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RockyDig

RockyDig

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May 9, 2005
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...and the last one.
 

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Emperor Findus Cladius

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Only one word describes it - AWESOME!!!! Thanks for the pics!!
 

Steeler Fan

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Apr 3, 2005
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Simply incredible! Take that thing and lock it up in Fort Knox. You have some VERY special and unique. I would get it appraised by a reputable Civil War historian and get it insured. I am serious about that!

Thanks for sharing your story and pics with us! :)

Steeler Fan
 

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ARCOMANDPURPLE

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Must have taken quite a while to produce this ring,great craftsmanship...Congrats ARCOM
 

Leon

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Very cool ring!!!, & story...
Do you know what any of the historians had to say about it?
Wheather it was made by the person himself, or did he have it made? Also, I know you said it was one of a kind, but I was wondering if any of the other men of that era did anything similar, as far as having something to show what battles they were in...
Again, cool post,,, Thanks for sharing!
 

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RockyDig

RockyDig

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May 9, 2005
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There is nothing known of the person who owned this ring. It was recovered outside of Winchester at one of Sheridan's camps.

Other men may have made items similar to this, I haven't seen any of them. What makes this ring unique is the battles that this person was involved, Cold Harbor, Antietam, and Gettysburg....these were great battles with huge losses. A lot of men didn't make it through even one of these battles.

It would be amazing to find any information of the person this ring belonged to. Maybe in time that will happen.
 

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RockyDig

RockyDig

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May 9, 2005
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I believe this was dug in a Union Camp. Based on the name structure it is Union. The South had different names for these battles.
 

Kent in AL

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Mar 21, 2003
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I would encourage your relative to go to a taping of "Antiques Roadshow". The Civil War buffs there would wet themselves over that ring. It's amazing the info they can collect in a short amount of time when they huddle and put their heads together. That's one of the most awesome CW finds I've ever seen. Thanks for sharing!

Kent
 

Bjorn_MD

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Nov 19, 2003
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I could be mistaken but it appears that FREDERICKSBURG appears twice on the ring.

I wonder what that implies, any thoughts?
 

hollowpointred

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Mar 12, 2005
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unbelievable find! ........and your right........just to survive antietum was a major accomplishment but gettysburgh as well!! this man absolutly saw the worst the war had to offer. this ring is a national treasure! thanks for sharing it with us.
 

JakePhelps

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Jul 7, 2005
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This is a great ring!! The man who wore it must have been very good at what he did. could it have been from a high ranking officer maybe?
 

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