WWI GERMAN BAVARIAN 3RD CLASS MERIT WITH CROWN AND SWORDS MEDAL W/CASE (3133)

Description

CASED BAVARIAN MILITARY MERIT CROSS WITH CROWN 3RD CLASS AND CROSSED SWORDS FOR COMBATANTS
LIGHT BLUE CASE WITH PURPLE VELVET MADE BY THE
FAMOUS
JACOB LESER
HOFKUNSTANSTALT
STRAUBING
KNOWN AS A MASTER JEWLER PROVIDING FINE MEDALS FOR THE STATE HINGE AND LATCH IN WORKING ORDER
THE CASE HAS WATER STAINING AND DOES NOT INCLUDE A RIBBON
A RARE GERMAN STATE VALOR SET
Time Period
: Pre-WW1
Institution
: July 19, 1866
Country
: Germany (Kingdom of Bavaria)
The Bavarian
Military Merit Cross
(or
Militär-Verdienstkreuz
in German) was the Kingdom’s main decoration for bravery and military merit for enlisted soldiers, intended “to reward extraordinary merit by non-commissioned officers, soldiers, and lower-ranking officials.”
The cross was established on July 19,
1866,
as the 5th Class of the Military Merit Order,
the main decoration for bravery and military merit for officers and higher-ranking officials. Civilians acting in support of the army were also made eligible for the decoration.
The first recipient appears to have been Gendarm Johann Winter, who received the Military Merit Cross in the
Armee-Befehl
of August 20, 1866. The Bavarian Military Merit Cross underwent three major revisions. In February 1891, awards with swords were authorized to distinguish wartime awards, whether for bravery or military merit, from peacetime awards. In 1905, the statutes of the Military Merit Order were
revised,
and the Military Merit Cross was divided into two classes. In 1913, another revision of the statutes of the Military Merit Order divided the Military Merit Cross into three classes.
The Military Merit Cross Design
The cross is a
Maltese
cross with a center medallion. The center medallion is enameled.
The
obverse
of the center medallion shows an “
L
” cipher of King Ludwig II in the center and the word “
MERENTI
” on the ring. The
reverse
has a Bavarian lion with the date of founding, “1866”, on the ring.