Is this a colonial wedding band??????

[mainer]

Hey guys found this at my colonial site Ive been detecting. I think it is a mans wedding band just wondering if it could be colonail or somthing newer. Hopefully the pics come out ok. I think it is made of brass or copper? Thanks for any help.

Mainer

 

[Don in SJ]

I doubt it is a man's wedding band from colonial times, all the research I have done in the past seems to indicate that for the most part a wedding band for a man was not common practice until early to mid 20th century. Now, of course what you found is a man's ring most likely, I have found dozen's of the brass/copper rings like that at homesteads that were mostly occupied in the early thru mid 1800's and never have been sure of there intended meaning, perhaps they were a poor mans wedding band, but maybe just a ring.

Don

 

[IronSpike]

Could be. Without markings it's difficult to date rings (for that matter newer rings with markings can be too ). Could the depth of the find be an age indicator? Is find location at your colonial site a plowed field? You don't find as many rings while relic hunting compared to beach hunting. That's a cool ring

 

[Monty]

I have found a couple of rings that were completely black like that and put some silver polish on them and found out they were silver! Couldn't hurt. Monty

 

[mainer]

Thanks for the info guys. There are certainly no markings in the ring. I do think its old. Probably like you said Don early to mid 1800's. I dont find to many rings. Ofcoarse I like to hunt older sites, where they are not that abundent. A nice find for me nonthe less. Thanks again for the help.

Mainer

 

[CRUSADER]

I doubt it is a man's wedding band from colonial times, all the research I have done in the past seems to indicate that for the most part a wedding band for a man was not common practice until early to mid 20th century. Now, of course what you found is a man's ring most likely, I have found dozen's of the brass/copper rings like that at homesteads that were mostly occupied in the early thru mid 1800's and never have been sure of there intended meaning, perhaps they were a poor mans wedding band, but maybe just a ring.

Don

I agree late 1800s

 

[allen]

definetily a ring,

 

[Montana Jim]

I doubt it is a man's wedding band from colonial times, all the research I have done in the past seems to indicate that for the most part a wedding band for a man was not common practice until early to mid 20th century. Now, of course what you found is a man's ring most likely, I have found dozen's of the brass/copper rings like that at homesteads that were mostly occupied in the early thru mid 1800's and never have been sure of there intended meaning, perhaps they were a poor mans wedding band, but maybe just a ring.

Don

I agree late 1800s

I agree.

 

[Iron Patch]

I doubt it is a man's wedding band from colonial times, all the research I have done in the past seems to indicate that for the most part a wedding band for a man was not common practice until early to mid 20th century. Now, of course what you found is a man's ring most likely, I have found dozen's of the brass/copper rings like that at homesteads that were mostly occupied in the early thru mid 1800's and never have been sure of there intended meaning, perhaps they were a poor mans wedding band, but maybe just a ring.

Don

I agree late 1800s

I agree.

Disagree. 1900-1901.

 

[fortbball9]

I doubt it is a man's wedding band from colonial times, all the research I have done in the past seems to indicate that for the most part a wedding band for a man was not common practice until early to mid 20th century. Now, of course what you found is a man's ring most likely, I have found dozen's of the brass/copper rings like that at homesteads that were mostly occupied in the early thru mid 1800's and never have been sure of there intended meaning, perhaps they were a poor mans wedding band, but maybe just a ring.

Don

I agree late 1800s

I agree.

Disagree. 1900-1901.

I think I will also go with Iron Patch

fortbball9

 

[BuckleBoy]

I doubt it is a man's wedding band from colonial times, all the research I have done in the past seems to indicate that for the most part a wedding band for a man was not common practice until early to mid 20th century. Now, of course what you found is a man's ring most likely, I have found dozen's of the brass/copper rings like that at homesteads that were mostly occupied in the early thru mid 1800's and never have been sure of there intended meaning, perhaps they were a poor mans wedding band, but maybe just a ring.

Don

I don't know how to explain the dozens of gold plated plain brass bands found at my pre-1900 sites. Many of these are found in sites dating back to the mid 19th c. There are accounts though of more "well-off" CW soldiers buying gold plated rings from the sutlers to wear and mailing their gold ones back to their wives for safe keeping.


The ring above most likely dates between 1850 and 1900. Many of the rings had a Karat marking before the Gold and Silver Marking Act. Sometimes they just said "18" or "14" but they were all gold plated brass.



I believe that's what your ring is made of as well.




-Buckleboy

 

[IronSpike]

I've only found one old brass ring and haven't cleaned it. Your ring also has a nice patina

 

[Tony in SC]

It looks like some of the old Slave Rings found in the low country of South Carolina. There was one found on TV on the Best place to find cash and Treasures?? Show this past spring. Tony

 

[zaxfire69]

That my friend is an old brass ring. I found one just like yours. Same color and everything. I took mine polished it with Brasso and wear it on occasion. Take you some Brasso and see if it will polish up. Ten bucks says it will.
Here is mine after I polished it up a little.

Then after alot of polishing

I wear this ring on occasion. I wonder what old timer dropped it.

 

[IronSpike]

I did apply a little naval jelly on the ring I was referring to (not expecting result as zaxfire69 ).

Cleaning of mine didn't do much, but still think mine is brass (don't have a strong magnet handy)

 

[pinebarrens1]

i agree with don , poor mans ring , i got about 8- 10 of them laying around ...............money was very tight back then ........as it is now

 

[steve from ohio]

Whatever it is.....it sure is a nice one.

 

[traderoftreasures]

my precious ..........

 

[scratcher]

I just came across this recent thread and it made me wonder if some of these rings referred to could actually be gold. Please see this thread from awhile ago:

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,137889.msg978646.html#msg978646

We just found a band very similar to the one posted here and also assumed it to be something other than gold. Under the microscope I found an 18 k marking and decided to give it the 800 grit treatment which reveals what sure looks like gold under all the crud. Naval jelly wouldn't do anything on either of these rings. Any thoughts on this?

 

[BuckleBoy]

I just came across this recent thread and it made me wonder if some of these rings referred to could actually be gold. Please see this thread from awhile ago:

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,137889.msg978646.html#msg978646

We just found a band very similar to the one posted here and also assumed it to be something other than gold. Under the microscope I found an 18 k marking and decided to give it the 800 grit treatment which reveals what sure looks like gold under all the crud. Naval jelly wouldn't do anything on either of these rings. Any thoughts on this?

I think it is very easy to mistake brass for gold. I have found numerous ones that were marked "14," "18," or even "14K" or "18K." All of these so far was very obviously gold plated at one time. They were not required to mark gold in those days, and I'm convinced that they sold some of these as gold even though they weren't.

The ring in the link above is a much more elaborate ring from these common brass bands, of which I have a dozen or so.

They are fairly common finds at mid-1800s house sites.

Testing the ring is the best policy if you have any doubts.



Regards,



Buckles