This gaudy piece of jewelry was created by a fanatical Nazi goldsmith for the Fuhrer himself. Made of silver and plated with gold (much of which has work off in time), the big swastika ring is expected to fetch around $100,000 at auction this week.
Offered by Alexander Historical Auctions House in Maryland, the historic piece was found by American troops in 1945 at Hitler’s mountain retreat in Bavaria, and one of the soldiers took it home as a souvenir. He later sold it and the piece exchanged several hands before reaching its last owner, a man who passed away a couple of years ago. His grandson decided to part with it, and is now ready to offer it at auction.
Karl Berthold, the jeweler who made the ring, wrote to the Nazi ruler shortly after the new regime came to power in 1933. He informed Hitler that a party functionary had commissioned the ring and that he had already fired all the Jews from his business. This was happening years before the Jewish people were officially forbidden to have jobs.
It is not clear whether or not Hitler actually wore the ruby ring, but there is official documentation to attest the fact that the piece of jewelry did belong to him. Those documents will be sold together with the ring itself and we’re absolutely certain that the offer will attract many bidders.
