Re: Help identifying an antique class ring

On Sep 24, 5:05 pm, "Kris Baker" <kris.ba...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


Aha.  I see it on Google Groups, but that thread's never shown
up on my newsreader for some reason.

BUT....we're not getting much of the story.   Google turned up
so much more, including this:http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/wb/177818
According to this story, the ring says "04" (class of 1904) but
I rotated the image 180 and it's clearer as "20".   IMO, of course.

"belt buckle initials SCF"
McCreery wingtip shoes with Sullivan's Safety Cushion heels

**********
The article appears to be wrong.    The correct name is
"O'Sullivan's Safety Cushion" and they were from the
O'Sullivan Rubber Company of Lowell, Massachusetts.
They had a plant in Virginia.http://osullivanhistory.blogspot.com/2007/12/interesting-osullivan-fa...
The company was founded in 1899.
There are a variety of ads shown online, that might help
date that rubber heel.   (Where's Cyn when we need her,
with her "date a rubber heel?" comments?)
**********

http://i36.tinypic.com/2s1avrl.jpg
It's bigger, but the details are too dark for me to see

http://i37.tinypic.com/28iz24w.jpg
OK.   It looks like M (below a tree) C

http://i37.tinypic.com/ifzvwx.jpg
(this picture shows the probable manufacturer stamp)

http://i37.tinypic.com/2m85wzs.jpg

That can't be "03".  ....unless the face has been cracked
in half along that scratch line and put together wrongly.
I flipped it - that didn't work.  Then, I rotated it 180....and
it  looks more like  a "20".

1920.   Matches the coins in the pocket.
---------------------

If I were the investigators, I'd not parse the items out
separately to individuals....but would be asking everyone
to look at the evidence in toto.   Including searching the
graduation records of all colleges and universities, for
"SCF".    Virginia Tech at Blacksburg is near Pearisburg....
where the story is stamped.


Kris,
Took another look at the photos & think it's a stylized '04 - the
apostrophe is in the wrong location for it to be 20. You could be on
the right track w/Va Tech, but with the wear on the initials, I still
see it as more an M than a V.

Even though the coins are from the '20's, I wouldn't discount the '04
date on the signet ring - could easily have been a family piece. The
ring appears well worn - and not necessarily from being buried in the
mud for all those years. It's rubbed "soft" in the way a ring worn
constantly for 20 years might be.

Would like to have more info on the pocket watch and the cigarette
case, which should be pretty easy to date ...and see pics of the whole
group of artifacts - agree with you that it would be helpful to see
the whole caboodle of artifacts at once. Unless local papers of the
era can backup the romantic story of a lovelorn lad going missing, I
wouldn't put too much credence in it.

As for digging through really old graduation records on spec, that's a
tough one - schools tend to let early records go to dust or archive
them, un-indexed, in permanent storage and don't bother adding them
to databases. Same goes for the OP's thought about contacting the
jewelry manufacturer for info. Assuming they're still in business,
which is unlikely, they wouldn't have records of an ancient custom
order. Best you could hope for is a date & country of manufacture.

Reading the local stories think it's bit sad how many people seemed to
have strolled by this poor fella's remains in the lake bed - makes me
wonder what other artifacts may have walked away. If his wingtips
survived, there may be a leather wallet in there somewhere. Also
wonder if anyone's thought to go over the area with a metal detector -
may be how they came up with the ring.
Nancy T
.

Relevant Pages