1930s G-Man Premium Ring

From the 1930s comes this small Cracker Jack premium G-Man ring.

In 1934, FBI Agent Melvin Purvis, with the help of other officers, aka "government men", killed notorious gangsters John Dillinger and Pretty Boy Floyd. He wrote and spoke widely about his adventures in law enforcement, and Post cereals began a promotional campaign advertising his "Junior G-Man Corps and Law and Order Patrol." Kids across the country sent in for all sorts of premiums, including rings, badges, flashlights, fingerprint kits, and penknives.

Other companies, including Cracker Jack, jumped on the G-Man bandwagon and released their own items as well, since Post was unable to copyright the phrase. This ring was a Cracker Jack prize, and was clearly well-loved by the little boy who pulled it out of the box some 70+ years ago...

1939 Captain Midnight Radio Premium: Flight Wings Badge

 Captain Midnight was one of many heroic pilot characters populating children's radio shows and movie serials in the 1930s and '40s. He successfully made the transition to television as well, where he had his own show presented by Ovaltine. In 1939, the Captain's radio broadcasts were sponsored by the Skelly Oil Company, who endorsed this  premium, the Mysto-Magic Weather Forecasting Flight Wings Badge.

Originally a piece of litmus paper inserted behind the "S" would change color according to varying weather conditions, alerting its young wearer to impending trouble.

1947 Lone Ranger Atomic Bomb Ring Premium

Many parents today worry about lead and other toxic chemicals in children's toys, particularly after the "contaminated Chinese products" scare of last summer. Well, this little item makes those concerns seem trivial: it actually contains radioactive isotopes. 

The 1947 Lone Ranger Atomic Bomb Ring, a Kix cereal promotion, was the best-selling premium ring of all time. And no wonder --  who could resist advertising like this:

 "SEE GENUINE ATOMS SPLIT TO SMITHEREENS! 

INSIDE THIS Kix ATOMIC 'BOMB' RING!"

The ring cleverly combined the Lone Ranger's silver bullet iconography with that of the new atomic sciences. And it did indeed work: the "bullet" or "bomb" was actually a device called a spinthariscope, which enables the viewer to see nuclear disintegrations caused by the interaction of radioisotopes. As polonium alpha particles struck a zinc sulfide screen, brilliant flashes of light resulted which could be seen by removing the red end cap.

Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your point of view and comfort level with radioactive substances) the materials had a very short half-life, and the rings no longer function today. And even though the ad says the rings are "perfectly safe -- we guarantee you can wear the Kix Atomic 'Bomb' ring with complete safety. The atomic materials inside the ring are harmless," I still feel a bit nervous every time I pick mine up.
                                                                                

1947 Lone Ranger Six Gun Ring Premium

One of the most famous toy ring premiums of all time, this is the Lone Ranger Six Gun Ring, offered by Kix cereal in 1947. It's an absolutely amazing little thing: the metal gun holds a flint that actually produces sparks.

My friend Ron, who was 11 the year this item came out, remembers anxiously waiting for his Six Gun Ring's arrival, and how he only wore it for a few minutes before he put it away, frustrated at the way it got hung up on everything (it's a very tall ring).

c.1950 Straight Arrow Golden Nugget Cave Ring Premium

I have a small collection of vintage premium rings and badges from old radio shows and serials, and they are some of my most treasured items. This is my very favorite: the Straight Arrow Golden Nugget Cave Ring (with secret picture) from around 1950.

 front of ring

back of ring

A bit of background: Straight Arrow was a radio show that began airing in 1948. A western hero similar to the Lone Ranger, Straight Arrow was a Comanche orphan raised by whites, who had a "secret identity" as Steve Adams, ranch owner. When trouble arose, he would race to his secret gold mine, where his Palomino horse, Fury, and his Comanche attire and weapons awaited him. Straight Arrow and Fury would then ride out to combat whatever problems had occurred, be they cattle rustlers or citizens endangered by rising flood waters. The show was sponsored by Nabisco's Shredded Wheat.

This ring represents Straight Arrow's gold mine hideaway, and it has a secret of its own. By peering into the tiny peephole "cave entrance" on the front of the ring, the viewer can see magically magnified images of Straight Arrow and Fury, and, if he sent in a photo of himself via the ad below, his own image as well, sandwiched between the two. (There's no way to show you how this appears, but if you look closely at the second picture above, of the ring's back, you should be able to spot the applied photo of the little boy who sent away for it.)

All of my old premiums give me a sense of connection to the past, as do my antique and vintage toys in general. But this one is special, with an even stronger feeling of connection than usual. As I look at the image of the little boy who once owned this ring, I'm struck with wonder: wondering what became of him, where he is now, and how his treasured toy ended up where it is today. (And also: how the heck did they do that magnifying image thing?!)