Description:

Beautiful Bay of Pigs Gold Veteran Ring, Inscribed 2506, with R.S.M. Inside

A Bay of Pigs veteran ring awarded to Raul Mejias Socorro (1935-2009). The solid gold ring is stamped "Brigada De Asalto / Giron 17 Abril". The sides of the ring are stamped "Cuba", and "Dios", "Patria" (homeland). The center of the ring is stamped "2506", for Brigade 2506, the troop of Cuban exiles who were responsible for carrying out the amphibious assault at the Bay of Pigs. The inside of the ring has also been stamped with "R.S.M." and "3629." The ring measures approximately 1" x .75" and weighs 15 grams, representing approximately .53 ounces. With one ounce of gold valued at over $1800, just the gold value of the ring alone is over $950*. With some rubbing and wear to the ring face from use, along with some light scratching to the inside of the band. Overall very fine. Accompanied by a note of provenance from the family about the ring's owner. *Note: This ring has not been tested. It is likely 18k and could be 14k thus lowering the melt value. A similar ring without family provenance was sold in January 2021 for $5500.

The provenance information in full:
"He [Socorro] was in the 4th Infantry Battalion during combat. He was shot in the arm and hid in a cave for two weeks, eating anything that crawled in. He could hear the communists finishing off the wounded for two weeks until he couldn't hear any more voices. So he left the cave and come up to an orange grove, where he asked for help and food. They gave him food and while he was eating they arrested him - the lady's husband turned him in, and he was traded back to the United States."

The Bay of Pigs was a failed operation on the coast of Cuba in 1961 led by Cuban exiles who opposed Fidel Castro's Cuban Revolution. Covertly financed and directed by the U.S. government, the operation took place at the height of the Cold War, and its failure led to major shifts in international relations between Cuba, the United States, and the Soviet Union. The operation was set into motion with a series of air strikes to take out Castro's defenses first. Once the defenses were broken, a brigade of 1,500 Cuban ex-pats would land in Cuba's Bay of Pigs, storm the beach, and spark an overthrow of the Castro regime. However, the battle turned out to be a monumental defeat for the Cuban exiles who anticipated more assistance from the United States. Additionally, the men of Brigade 2506 were woefully unprepared - landing in Cuba with a rifle, a pistol, a dagger, and no food, as they were of the belief that the entire operation would be over before dinner. The horror they were to face can only be understood by those who survived the event, who parachuted into Cuba only to find that all the planned support had failed. 

About 1,334 men set off from Guatemala, of which about 1,297 actually landed in Cuba, with an additional 177 airborne paratroops. Of this invading group, an estimated 114 drowned or were killed in action, and 1,183 were captured, tried, and imprisoned. Private sympathizers in the United States eventually negotiated to give $53 million worth of food and medicine in exchange for the release and repatriation of Brigade prisoners starting in late December 1962. And on December 29, 1962, President John F. Kennedy hosted a 'welcome back' ceremony for captured Brigade 2506 veterans at the Orange Bowl in Miami.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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March 15, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000