Germany Awards - Home Order of Vigilance/From White Falcon - Breast Star to Grand Cross

The Order of Vigilance or the White Falcon was established by Duke Ernst Augustus on August 2, 1732. Until 1815, the order consisted of only one class. Grand Duke Charles Augustus resumed the order on October 18, 1815 (the date of the battle of the peoples near Leipzig). The order consisted of 3 classes: Grand Cross, Commander and Knight. Large crosses were limited to 12. Apart from the Grand Duke and Princes at home. A prerequisite for awarding the Grand Cross was the title of full Privy Councilor or Major General. Signs of the order were subject to return after death. Prior to the founding of swords in 1870, the Order of Civil and Military Merit was awarded without swords. For members of the ruling houses (principalities), large versions of the Grand Cross were made. A chest star for these people was often made with shiny rays, but not necessarily. In 1840, the commanders were presented with stars, and the class of knights was divided into a knight's cross and an honorary cross. In 1878, the Silver Cross "For Merit" was established. In 1892, crosses were introduced for services to the grand ducal house, which do not have a red or green star substrate on the crosses and breastplates. In 1902, the crosses of the knights of the 2nd class, like the crosses of the 1st class, were made of silver. Muller, a court jeweler and order factory from Weimar. Source: J. Nimmergut, Deutsche Orden und Ehrenzeichen before 1945, vol. III, 1999.

Eight-pointed silver star. Longer 8 main rays with 4 stepped lateral rays on the right and left each. Single rays with decorative edging. The star is assigned a golden burgundy, green glazed Maltese cross. It's with a big round medallion. The cross is riveted with a star. The back side with a round lining in the middle. On it - the name of the manufacturer. Vertically - a pin.

Front side:

• Green glazed cross-shaped hands with translucent hatching.
• Gold medallion with a wide corrugated outer ring.
• Then a wide blue enameled arched ring in gold type:
• - VIGILANDO - ASCENDIMUS - (thanks to vigilance, we rise) below the 5-ray star.
• Inside is delimited by an elevated corrugated ring.
• Enclosed gold field with radiation patterns.
• Hung a golden burgundy and white enameled falcon with outstretched wings, head left.

Downside:

• Smooth and silver. Above, below and from the side, 4 rivets of the cross are visible.
• On a round, slightly curved central panel, the manufacturer's marking:
• Slightly curved on top - TH. MULLER -, center line - HOFJUWELIER -, curved from below - WEIMAR -.

Photos of military antiques Kögl www.mkoegl.de

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