A hand made aluminium ring with a carved native American profile. This highly interesting ring is an example of "trench art". A piece of military history, and also a unique piece of art. Rings such as this, and a variety of other items, were made by soldiers, sailors and airmen when they had down time. They were made from materials that were readily to hand from spent munitions, to pieces of wreckage or wood recovered from battle fields. In this case, it also incorporates a carved Native American portrait obtained from a Buffalo nickel, American tender.

The cigar band style design of the shank is formed from a piece of aluminium, presumably sourced from an old piece of munitions or equipment. The artist then took a Buffalo nickel, hand carved the portrait of the Native American from the coin, shaped it to follow the curvature of the band, and then soldered it on. Once applied, the artist then chased a small zigzag style pattern around the edges of the portrait. The overall effect is a very striking and unique ring.

The Buffalo nickel or Indian Head nickel is a copper and nickel five cent piece that was struck by the U.S Mint from 1913 to 1938. It was designed by the sculptor James Earle Fraser. A very beautiful coin, that was part of a move started byPresident Roosevelt in 1904 who expressed his dissatisfaction with the artistic state of the American coinage and set about to improve it. It was on May 4th, 1911 that, Eames MacVeagh, son of Treasury Secretary Franklin MacVeagh wrote to his father:

"A little matter that seems to have been overlooked by all of you is the opportunity to beautify the design of the nickel or five cent piece during your administration, and it seems to me that it would be a permanent souvenir of a most attractive sort. As possibly you are aware, it is the only coin the design of which you can change during your administration, as I believe there is a law to the effect that the designs must not be changed oftener than every twenty-five years. I should think also it might be the coin of which the greatest numbers are in circulation."

It was here that the coin began its lengthy and quite controversial inception. Upon its official release into circulation on March 4, 1913, it quickly gained positive comments as depicting truly American themes.However, The New York Times stated in an editorial that "The new 'nickel' is a striking example of what a coin intended for wide circulation should not be...[it] is not pleasing to look at when new and shiny, and will be an abomination when old and dull."The Numismatist, in March and May 1913 editorials, gave the new coin a lukewarm review, suggesting that the Indian's head be reduced in size and the bison be eliminated from the reverse. However, it stayed as it was originally designed and remained in circulation for the full twenty five year term provided to the design.

Not only that. In 2001, the design was adopted for use on a commemorative silver dollar.Photographer Mitchell Simon, inspired by an encounter with a buffalo, launched a post card campaign. Colorado Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell in 2001 successfully sponsored a bill for the minting of 500,000 commemorative silver dollars reproducing Fraser's design. The entire mintage sold out in the span of just weeks and raised 5 million dollars to help in the building of The Smithsonian Museum of The American Indian in Washington, D.C.

A very interesting ring, not just in terms of its make, its history, but also the elements that are included in its formation. It is very hard to date these pieces. However, it is very possible that the ring dates to the early 1940's, from a G.I in World War Two. The ring fits a finger size of approximately 8.5.