Awards of Germany - Ducal Saxe-Ernestine House Order of Komturkreuz with swords

A comture cross with swords, without a letter on the upper cross sleeve, was awarded from 1864 to 1935. Komtur 1. The class additionally received a breast star. Since 1864, the distinction between foreigners and foreigners has also disappeared. When awarded swords in peacetime, as here, there was a green wreath of oak leaves. For military merit, the wreath was of bay leaves. Crosses were made of gold until 1917. Then from gilded silver. In 1919, Duke Karl Edward of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha resumed awards. The cross depicted here is made of silver with gilding and thus refers to the period from 1917 to 1935. There are various designs of comture crosses with swords. They may have French or Roman paired poles, and vary in length and width of swords. The decision of the order - Fideliter et Constanter - can be written using ET or &.
The Order of the Ernestine Duchies was established on March 25, 1833 jointly by 3 Dukes Ernst I of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Friedrich of Saxe-Altenburg and Bernhard Erich Freund of Saxe-Meiningen. Initially, the order consisted of 4 classes: Grand Cross, Komtur 1st class, Komtur 2nd class and Knight. Knights 2nd class were added around 1890. Foreigners could also be awarded the order. This required the consent of at least 2 duchies. The awards of the other classes were equally distributed among the 3 duchies. Until 1864, crosses were indicated by letters on the upper cross sleeve. F for Altenburg, E for Gotha and B for Meiningen. Foreigners received crosses without an oak wreath around the medallion. The Komtur cross with swords was awarded about 380 times during the First World War, while there are no numbers for Meiningen. How many more commander crosses with swords were awarded after 1919 by Duke Karl Edward of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is unknown to me. The lists include 202 awards of the Comtur Cross. Source: J. Nimmergut, Deutsche Orden und Ehrenzeichen bis 1945, vol. III, 1999.

Silver gilded cross of Maltese shape with small balls on 8 peaks. Enameled crosses are white. Support and reverse with superimposed round gold medallion. Between the cross hands, the lion shouts up or down, respectively. One-sided processed, golden swords, with French rods for parrying, intersect through the center and are superimposed on the front side of the lions. Between the tops of the upper cruciform arm 2, the broad bridges are movably connected to the semi-serpentine ducal crown attached from above. An elongated ribbon ring passes through the imperial apple of the crown.

Front side:

• The golden central shield is surrounded by a green enameled oak-leafy wreath.
• Above and below they are connected crosswise.
• Then a golden burgundy blue enameled ring with a gold inscription:
• - FIDELITER - ET - CONSTANTER - Below is a small 6-ray star.
In
• a surrounded, finely delineated golden field, a portrait of the duke, looking to the left
• Ernst the Pious (founder of the Gothic branch of the Reg. 1640-1674)

Downside:

• The golden central shield is surrounded by a green enameled oak-leafy wreath.
• Above and below they are connected crosswise.
• Subsequently, a blue enameled ring with a gold inscription: - D. - 25. - DECEMBER - 1833
-
• At the bottom is a 6-ray star, on the left and right are a dot.
In
• a surrounded field, the coat of arms is Saxon, with a green enameled diagonal diamond crown.
• Horizontal stripes are black enameled or gold with a border, dotted inside.

Tape:

• purple 58 mm wide, edges 2 mm, green side stripes 6 mm, black dividing line.

Photos of www.militaria-berlin.de

Obverse: Ducal Saxe-Ernestine Order with Swords

Reverse: Ducal Saxe-Ernestine House Order of Komturkreuz with swords

Established:

March 25, 1833 together with Dukes Ernst I, Friedrich and Bernhard Erich Freund

Awarded:

1864 – 1935

Data:

• Material: Silver gilded
• Size: approx. 87 x 59 mm, swords 65 x 2.7 mm
• Weight: about 27g

estimated collector price:

2500 - 2600 € in gold
1600 - 1800 € silver gilded

OEK Number:

2469