Found this ring in my front yard here in Kansas City after a huge rain we had last week. Our house was built in 1956. The ring has probably been in the yard since then. I've done all the detective work trying to locate local schools with an arched back cat as a mascot. No luck. My question is could the cat possibly be a car club symbol? Has anyone ever heard of that? I'm sure I'm wrong but it was worth a shot.. Sent from my SM-G930V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Could be mehlville high school, st Louis, Missouri Sent from my SM-G900V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Doesn't really look like a panther to me though.... Sent from my SM-G930V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The look & style of the ring appears to be that of the Vintage Josten ring. It should have some initials or name inside the band. HRP
It may be Mehlville High School in St louis as they are the panthers. http://mehlvillehigh.ss11.sharpschool.com/ I also found their 1954 yearbook on Classmates
The other guys are right. Probably a school class ring. It stayed clean like that? I would check inside. Might have a 10k gold marking. Gold price $1200/ ounce?
Also it's a Balfour ring. They still make rings but we're unable to help identify it. Sent from my SM-G930V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Hope this mystery can be solved and how cool would it be to return it to the owner if they are still alive.
I searched MLP, 1954 on this site's "lost" rings but didn't get a hit. You can post a "found" ring here though. Maybe it will find its owner. http://www.classringfinder.com/Default.aspx Jostens has a found section. Surprised Balfour doesn't and couldn't help you. If you're able to find what school the ring is from, their alumni assn. may be able to provide a list of 1954 graduates so you could locate who "MLP" is. Would be cool to hear the story of how it was lost. I'd guess it would have been that a child took it into the yard after finding it on a dresser. Not likely it fell off someone's finger while being worn. Or a "steady" got mad during a break up and threw it!
I've been on fb pages and put the story out there. The likelihood of someone from class of 54 looking online for a found ring is slim. I'm just trying to find the same ring somewhere so I can locate school. Our house was built in 56 so it could've been somone doing yardwork...or maybe a builder during construction... Sent from my SM-G930V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
So if it's a HS ring that person would now be what, around 81 years old if they are blessed to still be around. Maybe 85 if it turns out to be a college ring. Not sure why this kind of mystery tends to fascinate me.
First thing that came to me was Michigan Wolverine. Intriguing thread. Could be a one-off. Even in HS, we weren't required to go with Josten's, etc, for our rings, if you choose to get one. My class graduated 270 or so. Some used local jewelers instead of the normal 'go to' process.
If you really want to do the right thing, and find the original owner, why not contact your local newspaper and they might do a story on it. I have read about stories like this and sometimes they have good results.
You said your house was built in 1956. How many previous owners have lived there before you? Chances are that a past resident lost it. And did one of those families last names begin with the letter 'P'? It may take some record digging at your local city hall, but if you discover the "Patterson's" lived there through the 60's you'll have a good lead. Gold doesn't tarnish like other metals, so it's difficult to estimate how long it's been buried.
Wife dipped it in her gold cleaner after the pic I posted. Cleaned up really nice. I wore it to dinner that night for grins. Not sure how many families lived here before us but our neighbors that moved in next door in 60 said they didn't know anyone with last name that started with p. Sent from my SM-G930V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app