Hello my name is Ryan and I was looking for help with an Ostby and Barton 10k ring I found. I've read all the history about the brothers and the Titanic. I noticed some rings had a Maltese cross and people thought that meant Otsby made it personally. Turns out, that was a false claim. The ring I have has a Star after OB. 10K ☆ I've read that this is incredibly rare and that Otsby did in fact personalize this ring. My question is, do you have any knowledge on the Star and meaning. I would love to hear back from you when you have a chance about any thoughts you might have. I believe this piece might be museum worthy.
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OB with a star ☆ by: Anonymous
I found an Ostby and Barton ring thats stanped OB. 10K with a star ☆ I believe this is one of Otsbys personal collection. Has anyone ever seem a star engraved after OB 10K?
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OB Hat Pin? by: Dawn
I have a hat/lapel pin that I'm unsure is OB. It's gold and has a soldier carved/etched in the black stone, but I haven't found a matching face anywhere online. How can I tell for sure if it's OB?
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OB 3 crown 1 on top of 2 !4 with letter F by: Susan
I have several Ostby Barton rings with different markings.. The Maltese Cross was suppose to Ostby's personnel Hallmark that he himself made the ring. So I have been told by the people who sold them. But in my research I am coming up short on the Maltese Cross. I have seen symbols they used in advertising their Jewelry. I also have learned that they used an Aphabetical year Mark in their early marks as this was done in European Jewelry marks. Ostby would go all over Europe to buy his jewelry making ingredients. Thus coming back to America on the Titanic. Anyone with information to pass on would be greatly appreciated.
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Worn by Nazi German Forces Probability by: Anonymous
I haven't found any information that suggests Barton used an Iron cross mark. I have found multiple rings hallmarked OB 10k then a iron cross symbol. And several of these have clean cut shanks. I'm buying into the belief that these rings were worn by Nazi German Forces and captured or taken as trophies by the Allied Forces or U.S. Soldiers. But as far as the jeweler who made these, im still stumped!
When you said there is a bar below the horizontal O, you said there was another bar below the O. If the second bar is actually above the O, then it is most likely a 10K mark with part of the letter K obscured from wear. If my assumption is correct, then this would be the mark used by Ostby Barton of Providence, Rhode Island.
Engelhart Cornelius Ostby was born in Oslo, Norway and emigrated to the US in 1869. In 1879, he founed his jewelry business in partnership with Nathan Barton.
Mr Ostby was one of the 1500 passengers who perished on the Titanic ship in 1912. In 1914, his daugher Helen and her brother Harold became joint owners of the company which eventually ceased jewelry production in the 1950's. Ostby Barton items are highly desired by fine antique jewelry collectors due to their exquisite workmanship.
