Impossible Saxon Awards

[Guest Rick Research]

Due to an unfortunate error in portrait "identification" Saxony used the WRONG bust of Albert (really Johann) on all grades of the Albert Order (and affiliated Medals) from 1850 to 1875.

What we have here, boys and girls, from yesterday's visitors who came on Epson Pilgrimage is that Oops Wrong Guy 1st type "Kleinkreuz" also known as the "Ehrenkreuz," which was the equivalent of the 2nd model's Knight 2nd Class.

There were exactly 362 of these awarded. Weber, Arnold, and Keil were unable to come up with a single example to illustrate in their encyclopaedic "Die Orden des K?nigreiches Sachsen."

What is MORE interesting-- they could not document a single, solitary example as having been awarded "mit Schwertern." That is quite surprising, given Saxony's participation in the wars of the 1860s and the Franco Prussian War.

There must have been SOME. There was at least...

ONE.

You're looking at it. :catjava:

[Guest Rick Research]

One can only speculate that the recipient of this Kleinkreuz on Saxon trifold deliberately mounted it back to front to conceal the Wrong Albert.

[Guest Rick Research]

Closer-- because when are any of us ever going to see others again? (I was able to handle so many items yesterday that it was like having a traveling museum come to my door!!! )

[Guest Rick Research]

Note the two distinctly different center motto ring details. The characteristic "hare's ears" Scharffenburg sword guards identify that maker's product, but the other maker remains uncertain.

[Guest Rick Research]

The cross with swords bears what Weber, Arnold, and Keil refer to as the "1st type" TWO piece Saxon crowned shield. The "2nd type" in one piece is on the Cross without swords.

Since swords were authorized in 1866, it is hard to imagine how--or why--there would have been NO awards of this class in 1866 and/or 1870/71. Perhaps the Rolls didn't specify "mitX"?

In any case, here is the ONLY known example for your viewing pleasure, courtesy of the Traveling Museum! :cheers:

[Steve K.]

Stunning!

I would like this 'traveling museum' to visit my town!

[Guest Rick Research]

Yikes! In the course of posting a higher class Wrong Albert today--

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=32818

I realized that the government of Saxony ALSO left us a record of how many of these Kleinkreuz holders were alive in 1914--

I don't know how many Kleinkreuzes were awarded to non-natives, but as of the outbreak of the Great War, there were exactly 4 Saxon recipients still alive.

From the annual list of living recipients above, 8 1871 recipients and 1 from 1873 had exchanged theirs for the M1876 Corrected Albert with white enamel arms.

There was nobody else!

Which suggests the grim reality of how many might still be-- theoretically-- still Out There.