steel wedding band?

[Ed-NH]

This one has got me wondering. I found it where I found those CW artifacts. This ring appears to be made of steel and is somewhat corroded. There is what appears to be a seam in it and an inscription on the inside of the band "RK" or "BK" they look as if they were stamped in there. This ring has the look and feel of a wedding band whereas the outsides of the ring are convex to fit comfortably on ones finger. I have no clue as to it's origin or if it is really a ring. I can not find ANY reference to CW era wedding bands. Could this be a mourning ring? The 3rd picture tries to show the lettering on the inside of the band. Thanks for the look.

 

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[trk5capt]

enhh, I Have Found The Same Here At CW Sites, I Think They May Be Made Of A Brass- Copper Mix, I Always Thought That They Were Just A Poor Mans Wedding Band, But Now I Am Inclined To Believe That They May Be A Reinforcing Ring Off A Piece Of Equipment. Just A Shot In The Dark. trk5capt...

 

[Ed-NH]

Hi trk5capt I'm happy to hear that you have found some of those in CW areas. Do any of yours have any letters stamped in them? I like your ideas, hopefully someone will know what they are.

 

[rdj]

I have seen on other forums that wedding rings were made of material other than gold and then gold plated. The base material was usually copper or brass I think, but steel wasn't all that rare. Guess folks back then didn't have cash to buy gold rings.

 

[TreasureTales]

Was it common practice for men to wear wedding rings during the time of the Civil War? Hmmm, I really thought that was something fairly recent. Well, like in the last 40 years or so, after the women's lib outcry.

UPDATE: just searched civil war forums and discovered that one of them had a thread dedicated to CW rings. Hope this link works. Apparently rings at CW sites are faily common. http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?t=677

 

[trk5capt]

Hi trk5capt I'm happy to hear that you have found some of those in CW areas. Do any of yours have any letters stamped in them? I like your ideas, hopefully someone will know what they are.

Not That I Can See. trk5capt...

 

[Montana Jim]

From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_ring

Quote: "The double-ring ceremony, or use of wedding rings for both partners, is a relatively recent innovation. The origin of the practice is uncertain, but it was never widespread. The American jewellery industry started a marketing campaign aimed at encouraging this usage in the late 19th century. The practice never became widespread, although it did warrant mention in an etiquette book in 1937. Learning from marketing lessons of the 1920s, changing economic times, and the impact of World War II, led to a more successful marketing campaign, and by the late 1940s, double-ring ceremonies made up for 80% of all weddings, as opposed to 15% before the Great Depression."

But that still does not explain all your rings or the one solid brass men's band I found (below) from an Indian War site - and probebly CW era.

 

[Montana Jim]

Also, the link below shows several different men's bands (see bottom of page) presumably from CW era, judging from the page itself...

http://www.iglou.com/btreasure/personal.htm

See also: http://www.marleneharriscol.com/categories/AntiqueWeddingBands.html?offset=40 for CW references.

 

[lonewolfe]

cool find - I have found many myself!

Pre-war (wwII) most rings were not gold as most could not afford it!

HH

Lonewolfe

 

[Ed-NH]

Was it common practice for men to wear wedding rings during the time of the Civil War? Hmmm, I really thought that was something fairly recent. Well, like in the last 40 years or so, after the women's lib outcry.

UPDATE: just searched civil war forums and discovered that one of them had a thread dedicated to CW rings. Hope this link works. Apparently rings at CW sites are faily common. http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?t=677

Thank you treasure tales, I found that forum very interesting about the Civil War and rings. It appears that my item is a ring. If I look closely at it under a loop I can see some gold specks in it. Could be the gold plating that they reference. This is a cool piece for me I am very happy to find such a personal item from that time period.

 

[Ed-NH]

Also, the link below shows several different men's bands (see bottom of page) presumably from CW era, judging from the page itself...

http://www.iglou.com/btreasure/personal.htm

See also: http://www.marleneharriscol.com/categories/AntiqueWeddingBands.html?offset=40 for CW references.

Thank you Montana Jim, that first link showed some nice examples. I think that you guys helped me to realize that I found my first CW ring. Cool stuff for sure! It's in my display case along with all my favorite finds.

 

[TreasureTales]

enhh, I'd sure like to see your display case. It must contain some sweeeeeeeeeet stuff. WTG dude!