Men's Civil War Era Wedding Ring

[paulcalloway]

Re: Men's Civil War Era Wedding Ring

Found a wonderful wedding band featured on an ebay auction - seller claims it was dug near Fairfax Station.
Described as:
"... about 21mm around and 10mm wide with some nice gold gilt and inside markings."

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...263536942&rd=1

[Jimmayo]

Re: Men's Civil War Era Wedding Ring

Here are a couple I dug in a Fed camp in Petersburg. I have some more but all are either small or normal size like in the pic. Only one had any gold color and it appeared to be plated which was flaking off in spots.

[KentuckyReb]

Re: Men's Civil War Era Wedding Ring

Man...I just realized something about Jim's last attachments. Look at those rings next to that dime. Pinky rings, indeed--or were people really that much smaller on average during the mid-19th Century? I'm certainly not Mini-Me, but I wouldn't make much money as a bouncer either, and there's no way I could get one of those on my pinky to begin with, let alone any other finger of my hand. Do you suppose there was a heretofore-undocumented toe ring fad sweeping the Federal army during the siege of Petersburg? :D

[hiplainsyank]

Re: Men's Civil War Era Wedding Ring

It's my understanding that people during the mid-19th century were smaller both in height and girth. I recall reading in one place that they average height of a soldier was 5'4".

No doubt poorer nutrition when young contributed. But some have speculated that the growth hormones added to most animals slaughtered for meat today have made people grow taller, as well as go into pubrty earlier. Teachers who taught in the 1950s remember plenty of teenage boys, even 16-17, who had not, or were barely, shaving.

[easttnfed]

Re: Men's Civil War Era Wedding Ring

All,

I have a good source for ordinary, plain brass rings. This guy has a ton of these rings in bags at his house and is willing to sell some of them if anyone is interested. He picked them up at a local antique store in Georgia for nothing and he himself is a antique collector that knows a lot about rings. He also has some that have been worked on with engravings on them. They are really nice rings. I got mine from him and it fits my pinky finger just right. Tell him the size that you need and he'll get it for you, all he has to do is reach into one of these bags and get it. If he does not have the size that you need, then he'll enlarge it what ever size needed. I'll try to post some originals that I have dug as well if I can get my scanner to work. He would be glad to send some pics of some examples if you want also.

His name is Shane Miles and
the email for him is:

Miles79NY@aol.com

[LindaTrent]

Height & Weight

It's my understanding that people during the mid-19th century were smaller both in height and girth. I recall reading in one place that they average height of a soldier was 5'4".

There's an excellent thread over on the civilian forum on height and breadth,

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5542&highlight=height

Linda Trent
lindatrent@zoomnet.net

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Men's Civil War Era Wedding Ring

Hallo Kameraden und Kameradinnen!

Sorry, coming in late...

Just to briefly add to what has already been shared. I would add to ethnicity and nationality, the "Real Life" consideration that socio-economic class had upon the desire to wear and availability to wear gold rings.
Meaning, lower classes and working classes could not always afford the "luxury."

And, gold plated copper had been an expedient for centuries not only in jewelry but in other items like the "gold" statuary in churches (more of a "European" thing.. ) or such things as officers' gorgets.

In the Modern World, my wife and I wear solid gold copies of a silver "claddagh" ring excavated from a 1760 site on Lake Superior.

Connin O'Connell

[Hank Trent]

Re: Men's Civil War Era Wedding Ring

Man...I just realized something about Jim's last attachments. Look at those rings next to that dime. Pinky rings, indeed--or were people really that much smaller on average during the mid-19th Century? I'm certainly not Mini-Me, but I wouldn't make much money as a bouncer either, and there's no way I could get one of those on my pinky to begin with, let alone any other finger of my hand.

I don't usually wear any rings, but I found one around the house that just fit my wedding-ring finger, and laid it over a dime. It sits exactly on the dime, i.e. the dime won't go through it, but you can't see any of the dime sticking out beyond the edges either, which is about the size that the rings in the photos look like. For what it's worth, I'm 5'7" and 150 pounds.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[adamlarriva]

Re: Men's Civil War Era Wedding Ring

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