Detecting.org.uk Home >
Nazi Gold
>
The SS Deaths Head Ring Treasure, or, The Treasure of
Wewelsburg castle.The SS Deaths Head Treasure
Above: Portrait of SS General
Reinhard Heydrich wearing his 'Ehrenring' or Totenkopfring.
Image courtesy of NARA.
The mountains around Wewelsburg castle in North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) may still be home
to a treasure of great value that was concealed there by the SS at
the end of World War II.
The SS Ehrenring (SS Honour Ring) or Totenkopfring
(Death's Head Ring) was given to members of the SS
as an award for bravery. Upon the death of the recipient, the
rings were to be returned to Wewelsburg castle, the
'spiritual home' of the SS. The rings were
made of silver and manufactured by Gahr & Co. of
Munich
As the war drew to a close Himmler ordered that all of
the rings that had been returned (around 9,280) to castle
should be hidden in a cave somewhere near Wewelsburg and
the entrance to the cave sealed forever with explosives.
Assuming that former SS members did not return and
recover the rings after the war, the rings could still be
hidden on a mountain some where near Wewelsburg castle today.
At current market values, the rings would be worth
between �3,000 and �5,000 each, or �27,840,000 - �46,400,000
in total.
Although, if the hoard were ever to make it to the open
market, they would no longer be rare, their value would
be dramatically reduced.
The rings held at the castle were only those that were
returned from the battlefields, in many cases soldiers
remains were not recovered, or rings were lost, so genuine
examples of Totenkopfring's do turn up occasionally.
Accurate copies of the rings are widely available online
and from Militaria dealers. It is not unusual for these
copies to be offered for sale as the genuine article.
Check out some of the following books for guidance on
avoiding fake Third Reich militaria:
|
