This rather splendid example has a gold lining, the date 1915, and would have been a jeweller's custom-built ring for a member of the nobility (a crown over an 'E') who had handed in his gold ring of this design to be melted down for the war effort. The diameter inside the ring is just under 2.1cm.
The programme 'Gold gab Ich fur Eisen' was instigated in the winter of 1914 as it slowly dawned on the government that this was going to be a long drawn-out affair and they would need all the funds that they could lay their hands on to keep it going. The sale of war loans echoed this sentiment and many families sold their lands for Kriegsanleihe (war loans), including mine!
There is a possibility that this is a German as opposed to an Austrian piece, but the style and source lead me to suspect Austria.
If you want to comment on this item—re quality, age, etc—please email me.
[Militaria : Jewellery : Austrian : 20th Century]
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