Reproduction West Point class of 1861 gold ring...

[WoodenNutmeg]

I thought that this was an interesting piece, CLICK HERE!

[Canebrake Rifle Guards]

Re: Reproduction West Point class of 1861 gold ring...

There was a jeweler who was hired to make those rings for the cast of the TV movie "Class of '61." After the movie he started selling the repro rings to the re-enacting community (Camp Chase Gazette ads I think), but then West Point or the movie production team shut him down as he didn't have the rights to make & market the rings outside of the movie production.

Greg Starbuck

[hta1970]

Re: Reproduction West Point class of 1861 gold ring...

If you want to check out some original West Point class rings, here is a link to the official West Point site.

http://digital-library.usma.edu/cdm4/browse.php?CISOROOT=/clrings

[Salt Pork]

Re: Reproduction West Point class of 1861 gold ring...

I remeber back in the mid 90's they had ads for the rings in American Civil War Magazine. Think they had Class of 58 and 61.

William Summe

[craigcis]

Re: Reproduction West Point class of 1861 gold ring...

My old business partner stumbled upon this thread and brought it to my attention. We both found it to be pretty interesting, as we are the ones who were making the rings way back then.
So, just to set the record straight, I will give you all the complete and truthful story now. Please understand that I am not here to be confrontational of insulting to anyone who has posted any misinformation about us or our activities. I understand how sometimes people just get the wrong information and then pass it on in good faith, believing it to be true.
Anyway...Yes, our little company, Artcast, made these rings after having lifted rubber molds off of the original May and June class rings. We originally made them for the TV movie that was mentioned. As strange as it may seem, I never saw the movie, though I would like to someday. Being here in the deep south, it was only natural that we would run into a Civil War re-enactor who expressed interest in them. So, we began to produce them and advertise them in some of the more popular magazines.
Shortly thereafter, we were contacted by a Major from West Point who told us that we had no right to make and sell these rings, as they were the property of the USMA. We hired a lawyer who checked into the laws governing copyright of such items and found that he was wrong. The rings were designed by the class members themselves, NOT by the USMA. Therefore, the copyright was legally owned by them if there was a contract between them and the jeweler who produced them. Otherwise, the copyright is owned by the jeweler who carved the original model. Finally, any such copyright, if it ever existed, expires after a number of years, and unless renewed, passes into the public domain. That is the status of these ring designs. They are now in the public domain.
But, just to avoid any further entanglements, we hand carved our own replicas of the rings and then destroyed the molds that had been taken off of the originals.
We never stopped making the rings. But, we did stop advertising them. Not because of any legal pressure, but because we each became more involved in our other business interests. Mike went on to found Model Master, a company that makes milling machines for the jewelry industry and I went into business traveling the world inspecting jet engines for people who were buying used commercial aircraft. The rings were small potatoes compared to that. So, we just kinda let it go. But, we still have our molds and make a ring every now and then when wee get a call for it.
Now you know the rest of the story.
Cheers
Craig Bowlby