An auction is currently active on the USA-based Heritage Auctions, featuring an incomplete set of Cereal Premium Rings originally released by General Foods, with a Phantom ring also included.

The Post’s Toasties rings commenced release by General Foods in the USA in 1949. The 2.5″ long tin lithographed rings were randomly placed inside Post’s Toasties Corn Flakes breakfast cereal boxes as a free give-away item. A sample of the front and back of the Post’s Toasties Corn Flakes Cereal Box the rings were found in can be seen below.

The incomplete Cereal Premium Ring set offered at auction by Heritage Auctions can be seen below, made of 17 rings, with 24 rings found in a full set.

A closer look of the Phantom Post’s Toasties ring found in the auction can be seen below.

The auction advertisement reads:

Cereal Premium Metal Ring Lot (Post, 1948-52). This Cereal Premium metal ring lot features 17 unique character rings released by Post from 1948 through 1952, originally showcased in Post Raisin Bran and Corn Flakes. The collection highlights iconic comic strip and Western figures, including Smilin’ Jack, Orphan Annie, Popeye, Felix the Cat, and The Phantom, along with a Roy Rogers-themed set of seven rings, featuring Dale Evans, Roy’s Boots, Gun, Saddle, Sheriff, and Trigger. Each vintage ring remains in unused condition, exhibiting handling wear, with visible scratching, scuffing, fading, and general aging, reflecting their well-loved history as classic mid-century cereal premiums.

Fully licensed by King Features Syndicate, the Phantom Post’s Toasties ring is the first mass produced Phantom ring to be made available to the public, released in 1949. The ring was sealed in a see-through plastic packet before being randomly placed inside Post’s Toasties Corn Flakes breakfast cereal boxes. The rings were provided flat, with the new owner expected to bend the ring to fit his/her finger.

The Cereal Premium Rings on the Heritage Auctions website can be found HERE

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