This one promises to be a bit challenging, so hopefully you?ll be able
to have some fun in searching.  My mom?s wedding ring was purchased at
a pawn shop in the 1970s. Quite some time after I was born, I decided
to look at this ring and saw that it was engraved with initials and a
date.  The top of the band reads:

?J.A.S? ?R.H? ?Sept 2 1936?

I can only assume the three initials are the man?s, the two initials
the wife?s, and the date the wedding date.  The ring also has
?Tiffany? on the inside; next to it reads ?US PLAT.?  It is inset with
24 diamonds, and there is a pattern of small horseshoe-shapes around
the top and bottom of the band.

Now, this ring was purchased in the depression, and was made of
platinum and diamonds by Tiffany.  It must have been extremely
expensive to buy back then.

My question is:  who could this ring belong to?  

Who had the initials JAS and was married in September to an RH, and
had the means to buy such an object?  Someone that wealthy must have
been at least notable enough to appear in a newspaper or two.

I contacted Tiffany about possible owners, but they charge a $500 fee
if they find something and $100 for the trouble of looking through
their archives.  I was hoping that a bit of research on figures of the
30?s (probably in NYC) could maybe turn up a possible original owner.

Hopefully, I?ll know who bought this ring before it becomes mine. 
Thanks for your help, and good luck searching!

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Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 20 Jun 2005 20:14 PDT

Please post some picture of the ring. It would be good to be able to
see both the stones and the inscription. Thanks.

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Clarification of Question by mismoosie-ga on 20 Jun 2005 21:15 PDT

Getting a good picture is easier said than done--the engraving is very
faint after ~70 years.  However, I've tried to get a few decent shots.
 My question's really more about the people of the time, rather than
the ring itself (though if there's information about that, I'd be
ecstatic!)

Best of luck, and thanks for your help!

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a117/MisMoosie/4b6982f8.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a117/MisMoosie/648210f5.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a117/MisMoosie/8335fdee.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a117/MisMoosie/6f4820e1.jpg

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Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 21 Jun 2005 12:57 PDT

A little geography would help here.  Where was the pawn shop where the
ring was purchased?  Where did your mom live at the time?

Any other details would help.


pafalafa-ga

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Clarification of Question by mismoosie-ga on 21 Jun 2005 17:24 PDT

Thanks for reading (again)!  Here's what I have:

The ring was purchased at "The Collector's Exchange" at the
Quakerbridge Mall in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.  It was approximately
1982 when the ring was purchased (I can narrow it down to an exact
year, but it'll take a few weeks), and my mom was living in NJ at the
time.  I'm guessing it probably came originally from New York.

By George, I think I've got it!


The September 3, 1936 issue of the New York Times, on page 18, has a
small article on the Schroth-Harper wedding.  I can't reproduce the
entire articles (which is quite brief) since it's copyrighted, but the
salient information is this:


Gladstone, NJ, Sept. 2 -- Miss Rosalind Harper, daughter of the Rev.
and Mrs John Mitchell Harper, was marriend at noon today to John
Andrew Schroth Jr. in St Luke's Church...


=====


Gladstone, NJ, by the way, is about 30 miles from Lawrenceville.  


It's not proof positive, of course, but it does seem a pretty convincing match-up.

Let me know if you need any additional information on any of this
(though, truth be told, I'm not sure how much more I could add).

Cheers,


pafalafa-ga


search strategy -- search of the NY Times archives for articles on
Sept 3-4, 1936 with the words [ married OR wed ].

Thank You!!  As a student, I have access to the announcement--and
you're right, it seems *quite* convincing.  Your efforts are truly
appreciated, a job well done :-)