1966 Batman Rings

Some of my favorite vintage toy rings are these, made in 1966 to promote the Batman TV show starring Adam West. There were three different styles, and they seem to have been available in a variety of ways, including as gumball machine prizes and dime store toys.

 (Incidentally, I have several lots of these, so if anyone would like one, or a set, send me a Batmail...)

Vintage Al Tomaini Giant Souvenir Ring

One of the coolest rings in my premium ring collection isn't technically a premium, but more of a souvenir. Dating to the 1930s or 40s, it's a giant ring, measuring almost 1 1/2 inches in diameter (the photo below shows its size in comparison to my high school graduation ring). When I spotted it in a basket of junque at an antique store, I first thought it was a baby or large doll bracelet, that's how big it is!

These souvenir rings were sold in sideshows and circuses by giant performers, often right from the giant's hands. This one came from Al Tomaini, a giant who went on to become police and fire chief in Gibsonton Florida, where he and his wife, Jeanie the Half-Girl, ran a fishing camp and trailer court. They led a fascinating life: take a look here.
A great article about giant rings can be found at the Show History website.

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.