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 Post subject: A ring can hide another...
PostPosted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 3:37 pm 
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Let's discuss those curious antique rings which could be refered to as "system rings" (or "gadget rings"), meaning rings that feature some kind of system of utilitarian or recreational purpose (mechanical or optical system, folding or detachable tools, etc.)


"femme fatale" ring, german silver, 19th century, 6 shots in 2mm pinfire caliber (black powder cartridge). These are rare and usually go for 3-5k$
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And that is a set of two "le petit protector" rings (also 19th century), one for the wife (2mm caliber) and one for the husband (4mm caliber). That set went for 13k$
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Cylinders were available as 5, 6 or 7 shots, but "le petit protector" was also available as a single shot percussion pistol:
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remember, christmas is coming...some girls prefer diamonds, tho :lol:


Last edited by cascaillou on Thu Nov 12, 2015 2:43 pm, edited 30 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: "femme fatale" ring, 19th century
PostPosted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 5:32 pm 
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That would sting! Where do you get the ammo?


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 Post subject: Re: "femme fatale" ring, 19th century
PostPosted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 6:19 pm 
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Oh, yeah!! I want one!!! =D>

Although, I suppose being shot by such a small caliber would probably just p*ss off the person 8) .

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 Post subject: Re: "femme fatale" ring, 19th century
PostPosted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 7:52 pm 
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This is intriguing. Wow, learn something new every day around here.
I Googled and got a wee bit more info
http://victorianachronists.wordpress.co ... ng-pistol/


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 Post subject: Re: "femme fatale" ring, 19th century
PostPosted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 10:48 pm 
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Another type of weaponized ring is the poison ring. So called "poison rings" were actually mostly used to carry perfume, locks of hair from beloved ones, devotional relics, messages and other keepsakes, but some have indeed been used for more sinister purposes, and the earlier report of such use dates back to 322 BC with Démosthène suicide. Other antique poison rings used a stinger to administrate the poison (which was also the method prefered by KGB during the cold war)
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bronze ring, Bulgaria, 14th century, designed specifically for poison. Nice times...

Other weapon rings include Ghadj'ia rings (used by georgian Khevsur warriors) and Kakute rings (used by japanese Kunoichi). These are basically knuckledusters and claws disguised into rings, how subtle...


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sundial and compass, gold, 16th century.

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sundial and compass, 19th century

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here's another finger ring that features a slit for use as sundial (you can see hours engraved on the inside of the ring), gold, 16th century.


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WWI "poilu" handycraft ring with compass. In these times of war, "Poilus" were also killing time by recycling battlefield supplies and wastes into a variety of handcrafted objects.


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"Lone Ranger Atom Bomb" ring, 1947, USA. It's actually a miniature spinthariscope which was offered as a breakfast cereal prize toy. That is an optical device allowing your eyes to 'see' radioactivity when alpha particles hit a luminescent screen producing tiny flashes of light, and this one contained polonium-210 as the radioactive source (polonium-210 half-life being only 138 days, the device wouldn't work anymore nowdays)...yeah, propaganda, polonium and cereals!


Last edited by cascaillou on Fri Sep 09, 2016 11:33 am, edited 64 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: "femme fatale" ring, 19th century
PostPosted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 11:32 pm 
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I'm loving this thread!


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 Post subject: Re: "femme fatale" ring, 19th century
PostPosted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 11:49 pm 
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I love antiques too, these are not dead objects, they have stories to tell


Last edited by cascaillou on Mon Nov 04, 2019 11:08 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: "femme fatale" ring, 19th century
PostPosted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 4:09 am 
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this tread is against all husbands, why you want to Kill us??? :lol: 8) 8)
i highly doubt 2mm Gauge kills any thing
anyways if you want to see how this ring gun works watch this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZX5W4yzkqI

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 Post subject: Re: "femme fatale" ring, 19th century
PostPosted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 3:47 pm 
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Key ring, bronze, France, Roman period, 3rd century. For lack of pockets in their togas, the ancients often wore keys to important boxes on their fingers, which also served the purpose of demonstrating their status within the family.

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Victorian-style signet ring, with a secret key that slides open when the ring is removed, gold.


Last edited by cascaillou on Sun Nov 03, 2019 4:35 pm, edited 31 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: "femme fatale" ring, 19th century
PostPosted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 7:26 pm 
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here's another amazing "smart" ring:
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abacus ring, silver, China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912). A pocket...no, a finger calculator!


Last edited by cascaillou on Wed Mar 25, 2015 7:17 pm, edited 10 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: "femme fatale" ring, 19th century
PostPosted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 10:25 pm 
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ring watch, by John Arnold, England, 18th century.

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ring watch with folding crucifixion triptych, gold and enamel, 16th century


Last edited by cascaillou on Sun Dec 14, 2014 12:23 pm, edited 4 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: More than just a ring
PostPosted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 10:47 pm 
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a musical ring with moving automaton, gold and enamel pearl-set, attributed to Isaac Daniel Piguet, Switzerland, circa 1800. Lady playing the harp, both hands moving on either side of the strings, a dove above the harp nodding in time to the music.

Here's another:
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Musical ring with automaton, gold with truquoise, created by Piguet and Capt in Geneva, 1802-1811. The glass bezel is shaped to magnify the miniature scene.
Look closely to view a music session in the drawing room, complete with hanging oil lamp and the pet dog curled up asleep on the floor. A woman turns the handle of a serinette, often used to train birds to sing short human melodies. Standing before the music stand, the music master has a violin tucked under his arm, in which he raises and lowers his bow to keep time to the music that accompanies the performance.


Last edited by cascaillou on Thu Nov 12, 2015 3:16 pm, edited 6 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: This is not a pipe...and this is not a ring!
PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2014 1:01 pm 
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spyglass ring, France, 19th century. The ring unfolds into a telescope. I'd prefer a ring microscope, though 8)

here's another type of spying ring:
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camera ring, KGB started using these in the 1950's.


Last edited by cascaillou on Thu Dec 18, 2014 8:56 pm, edited 9 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: This is not a pipe...and this is not a ring!
PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2014 3:43 pm 
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finger ring which unfolds into an armillary sphere, gold enamelled in black with signs of the zodiac, Germany, 17th century.

Here's another antique armillary ring, so you can see how it looks once folded up:
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Last edited by cascaillou on Tue Dec 16, 2014 7:34 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: This is not a pipe...and this is not a ring!
PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2014 3:53 pm 
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stanhope ring, with erotic microphotograph, probably circa 1940's. Stanho-scope rings have existed since the second half of 19th century, such optical devices allow viewing of microphotographs without using a microscope.


Last edited by cascaillou on Thu Dec 25, 2014 11:36 am, edited 1 time in total.

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