EXTREMELY RARE CISCO KID SECRET COMPARTMENT PORTRAIT RING.
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Winning Bid:
$7,147.25 (Includes 15% Buyer's Premium)
Bids:
5
Bidding Ended:
Thursday, November 13, 2014 12:00:00 PM (20 Minute Clock Begins At Thursday, November 13, 2014 12:00:00 PM)
Time Left:
Ended
Auction:
Auction #213 - Part II
Item numbers 1063 through 2753 in auction 213
Value Code:
M - $5,000 to $10,000 Help Icon
Item Description
This ring continues to be among the very rarest premium rings. The Hake Pop Culture guide put the date at c.1950, but we think that needs slight revision. The ring is comprised of a brass base with a single wing on each side of the base top. This ring base matches that used on the 1948 Captain Midnight Initial Printing Ring. The brass base is joined to a 1" square by 5/16" deep red plastic compartment and this matches the Sky King Electronic Television Ring issued in 1949. Like the Sky King ring there is a brass hinged cover that flips open on the top. The Sky King ring (see #1211) has a lens at the center whereas the top of this ring is entirely in brass with incised portrait while below are four individual letters each with a period and all in quotation marks. For years we thought the caption beneath image was simply "Cisco" but with this ring in hand we now see that these are initials "C.K.S.C." standing for Cisco Kid Safety Club. We make this assumption because the first item in the Hake guide is a button picturing Cisco and reading "Cisco Kid/Safety Club Member." We dated that item as c.1948. Cisco was on Mutual radio 1942-1956. His syndicated TV shows ran 1950-1956 and these were locally sponsored, usually by various bakeries. We think this ring most likely was issued by Wrigley's Gum as they were a national advertiser and sponsored the radio program in Canada. The Hake guide pictures their club button and plastic arrowhead both dated as c.1949. So, it seems most likely the ring is c.1949 and was distributed in Canada only by Wrigley's. The ring is in overall Fine condition. Tip of one band has some tiny indents in the brass but hardly seen. Base edges of the plastic secret compartment have white hairlines where they form a right angle but no chips or cracks. The interior of the compartment has a plastic sheet with his portrait. With about 60 seconds exposure this will take on a faint blue glow although portrait details are not revealed. The hinged brass cover has nice all over brass finish. In the 2008 (last and final) edition of the Hake Guide the values for this ring were Good $2,500, Fine $7,250, NM $13,000. We believe this is the only example of this ring we have ever offered and know of only one or two others in existence.
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