9 Iconic Movie Props With Seriously Strange Backstories

7. The One Ring from The Lord of the Rings

The deceptively simple One Ring, the powerful core of The Lord of the Rings saga, actually existed in multiple, distinct versions for filming. While jeweler Jens Hansen crafted one perfect "hero" ring for close-ups, other versions included a larger ring (sometimes 3-4 inches in diameter!) used for scenes where it was worn by the hobbits (to make them look smaller than Gandalf or Aragorn). There was even a "stunt" ring for battle scenes. This seemingly singular, all-powerful artifact was, in reality, a collection of precisely engineered props, each serving a specific magical illusion, adding a strange layer of practical complexity to its mythical grandeur.