Civil War era poison ring.
Heritage Auctions, HA.com
Fashioned from plated brass and inscribed inside with the date “June 15th 1863,” the man’s ring shown here is less ordinary than it looks. It hides a small box intended to be filled with a toxin. A hinged lid on the box is slotted to allow a small, sharp blade to snap out when the wearer pushed a button on the ring’s side. With the poisoned blade exposed, the attacker could clandestinely poke his victim and (one presumes) make a hasty getaway. The owner of the ring—and whether it was used as intended during the Civil War—remains unknown.
