Family search for wedding ring that was swapped for beer

A woman in Canada is trying to track down her grandfather’s wedding ring, more than 60 years after he swapped it for a pint of beer.

Natalie Aalders said that her grandfather was serving in the military and was stationed in Halifax in the 1950s. During a three-day drinking binge he found himself with no money and so decided to barter the only thing that he had of value – his wedding ring.

After sobering up and realising his mistake Aalders’ grandfather told his wife he had lost the ring.

“He had originally told her that he had lost it down the sink drain while doing kitchen duty,” Aalders told Canada’s CBC News, “he kept it a secret.” She added that her grandmother had always suspected the story was a lie.

The truth emerged recently when Aalders got married and while her grandfather was admiring her new wedding ring, he told the true story of what happened in the bar.

Aalders took to Canadian classifieds website Kijiji.ca to try and track down the swapped wedding ring. Although the advert has been viewed by over 53,000 people, so far no-one has come forward.

Aalders wrote in the advert: “I imagine the ring is long gone, but figured I would post this on the far off chance that someone would remember him and still have the ring, and possibly discuss how I can get it back for him while he is still around, maybe in time for Christmas.”

Aalders’ grandfather is now 80 and while he never replaced the wedding ring he is still married, although “he hasn’t had a drink for a very long time.”