Italy, Kingdom. A Military Order of Savoy, V Class Knight, Type II, c.1900

(Ordine Militare di Savoia). Instituted in 1815 and revised in 1855. Four-piece construction, in 18K Gold with red, white and green enamels, excellent quality, weighing 8.5 grams, measuring 35 mm (w) x 35 mm (h), intact enamels, extremely fine.

Footnote: The origin of the Military Order of Savoy was instituted in 1815 and revised on September 28, 1855. It can be traced back to the first honourary degrees granted by Victor Amadeus III of the Kingdom of Sardinia to its soldiers. Later these degrees went into disuse because of the Napoleonic regime in Italy and especially in Piedmont. On April 1, 1815, these honourary degrees were used again by Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia and later abolished on August 14th of the same year. Later again, all of these honourary degrees become one, the Military Order of Savoy. This military order was to be granted to soldiers who fought in the Italian army of Napoleon and became part of the Legion of Honour (or either obtained the honourary degree of Order of the Iron Crown) due to military merit. This honourary degree was conceded to everyone, no matter what religion or rank the soldier was. The Order was also created to reward all other kinds of military merit, from the simple soldier, up to the highest-ranked officer, that performed a special military feat during battle. Following the foundation of the Italian Republic, the order was renamed the Military Order of Italy in 1947 and continues to be awarded under that title today. The Order was once split into four grades of merit: Knight Grand Cross, Commander, Knight and Militant (soldier). Upon the entry of this new Order in the honourary degree system of the Kingdom of Italy in 1855, these four different grades were then modified into five: Knight Grand Cross, Grand Officer, Commander, Officer, Militant or Knight. For the latter degree, use of the term Knight (Cavaliere) was more frequent than that of Militant (Milite), although that term was never officially abolished. Following the abolition of the Italian monarchy, the Order of Savoy was discontinued on January 2, 1947, becoming the Military Order of Italy.