Note: The ring is missing the stone. After acquiring the estate of a retired Master Engravers inventory, I found this ring which is in nearly perfect condition but its missing the stone. While I dont know the entire story, I did find the class of 1962 was the first full cycle academy class at the permanent site, were known as the Original Red Tags for having chosen Red for their class color, and Lyndon B. Johnson was the graduation class speaker and presented them with their diplomas. According to the Association of Graduates, US Air Force Academy. There were only 298 graduates on Wednesday, June 6, 1962, for more detailed information follow the link. Hence, I would suspect there were probably no more than 298 of these rings produced, making this a rare and desirable item. The details on the ring are. The words surrounding where the gem stone would be are: U. Air Force Academy with a star at the base. One side of the ring has a Falcon with spread wings and lightning bolts emerging from its talons, sitting on the 1962 class crest which contains an air corps prop and wings insignia sitting above what appears to be a rampart, with the words United States Air Force Academy surrounding the crest on a banner. At the very base of the ring there is a Polaris star (the North star) which wraps under the ring to another Polaris star on the other side. On the class side of the ring: The word Invictus separated by a group of 4 electrons circling an atom the electron were meant to signify the 4. Graduation class, and the word Virtute which appears above a Falcon clutching a cadet sabre and the year 62. (“Invictus Virtute”, meaning “Unconquerable Strength”). On the inside of the ring is the text Josten 14k, and the sequence B2560, which I believe references the academy graduate, but I cant say for sure. The weight of the ring is roughly 27.2 grams of 14k white gold, with 14k purity at 58.3% this equates to 15.86 grams of pure gold weight or a half. 51 troy ounce of gold. The ring is in nearly perfect condition with only minor signs of age or wear to the gold design relief, text, or ring. The stone is missing (I dont know the story), but the stone was removed cleanly and can be easily replaced by Jostens. I measured the ring at size 8, but it may be slightly smaller at 7 ¾. This is an awesome piece of jewelry which is in excellent condition, and with the missing stone, there are many choices for replacement, or if Jostens has the information it could possibly be replaced with a duplicate of the original stone. I have described this ring as best I can, but to augment my description I have provided many high-resolution images of the ring from varying angles to allow for a detailed review of quality, condition, and desirability. If you have any questions, feel free to message me. From the USAFA website: TOASTING TO TRADITION. CLASS RINGS & RING DANCE. The United States Air Force Academy is the only service academy to have had class rings for every class since its founding. Air Force Academy rings are also unique because they are made with white gold, instead of the yellow gold used at other service academies. Each class designs its own ring and class crest. One side of the ring bears the Academy crest, while the other side bears the class crest, which always includes elements from the Class of 1959s crest: the class number, the class year, the Polaris star and the eagle. This formal and prestigious ball is exclusively for second-class cadets (juniors). It is held during Graduation Week, before the second-class cadets become first-class cadets, and is where they receive their class rings and unveil the class crest. The rings are traditionally placed in a glass of champagne and are caught in the teeth following a toast. The item “1962 US Air Force Academy 14k Class Ring Vietnam Falcon Red Tags Rare” is in sale since Thursday, April 05, 2018. This item is in the category “Jewelry & Watches\Men’s Jewelry\Rings”. The seller is “cheechwizard” and is located in Wichita, Kansas. This item can be shipped to United States.
- Ring Size: 8 or 7 3/4
- Color: White Gold
- Brand: Jostens
- Ethnic Origin: US
- Metal: White Gold
- Metal Purity: 14k
- Style: United States Air Force Academy
- Material: Gold
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
- Main Stone: Missing
- Theme: United States Air Force / Eagle
- Year: 1962