HOLDEN – The Maine medical examiner’s office received so many calls after Monday’s Bangor Daily News front page article about Ralph McLeod, a local gun and memorabilia dealer, purchasing a reported trophy skull from World War II that an official from the office picked it up for an examination.

“Ed David [deputy chief of the state’s medical examiner’s office] stopped by to get it today,” McLeod said Monday night. “It’s now in the hands of the medical examiner’s office in Augusta.”

The skull, which has the words “1945 Jap skull, Okinawa” printed by hand in ink on its top, was purchased by McLeod for $50 from a fellow gun dealer who obtained the skull through a purchase at an estate sale several months ago.

The medical examiner’s office took the skull to determined whether it was an actual Japanese trophy skull, David said Monday night.

“Basically we’re going to visually examine it to make a determination” if it has the characteristics of an Asian skull, he said.

If it is determined to be Asian, further tests, possibly including a CAT scan, could be conducted.

Since obtaining it, McLeod has contacted the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C., and the consulate general of Japan about returning it to Japan for a proper burial.

McLeod said David told him he should have it back in a month or so and should continue the paperwork needed to return it to Japan.