SINCONA Auction 67

Description

Order of the Red Eagle. 2nd model (eagle to the left - 1810-1829), jeweller’s manufacturing of a 1st-class breast star, 2nd edition (with the Hohenzollern arms on the eagle’s chest!), diam. 80.8 mm, silber brillanté, centre silver and enamels, with applications in gold and enamels, 47.1 g, the centre rotated about 100 degrees to the left, on the reverse with scratching „g5 mv“, with pin. OEK22 1599/3.
Roter Adler-Orden. 2. Modell (mit nach links gewandtem Adler - 1810-1829), Juweliersanfertigung eines Bruststerns zur 1. Klasse, 2. Ausgabe (mit Hohenzollern-Wappen auf der Brust des Adlers!), Durchmesser 80,8 mm, Silber brillantiert, Medaillon Silber emailliert, mit Auflagen in Gold emailliert, 47,1 g, das Medaillon um ca. 100 Grad nach links verdreht, auf dem Revers mit Einritzung „g5 mv“, an Nadel. OEK22 1599/3.
Sehr selten / Very rare. Gutes sehr schön / Good very fine.
(~€ 6’540/USD 7’690)
After the unification of the United Markgravates Brandenburg-Bayreuth and Brandenburg-Ansbach with the Kingdom of Prussia in 1792, also the Brandenburg Order of the Red Eagle [Brandenburgischer Orden vom Roten Adler] became, according to the suggestion of Carl August Freiherr von Hardenberg (1750-1822, since 1814 Fürst von Hardenberg), a one-class royal Prussian order (1st model). In 1810, during the reign of King Friedrich Wilhelm III (1770-1840, reigned since 1797), new statutes were issued, thus transforming the order into a three-class (1st to 3rd class, with annexed gold and silver medal) order for civil and military merit, the insignia showing a red eagle to the left (the so called Brandenburg eagle) without the Hohenzollern shield on the chest (2nd model). The first class, to be worn with a sash ribbon, was conferred with an embroidered breast star. But as a matter of fact, there exist embroidered breast stars with eagles turned sideways without and with the Hohenzollern shield on the chest, and it cannot be said if the latter ones belong to the 1st or to the 2nd model.
Due to the fact that embroidered breast stars were quite difficult to handle, especially for military officers, holders of the 1st class were allowed to order and buy at their own cost privately manufactured metal breast stars from jewellers, so-called Juweliers-Anfertigungen [jeweller’s manufacturings]. Of them exist as well pieces without and with Hohenzollern shields on the chest of the eagle. (See also KB3 pages 84 to 87.)