Portugal, Kingdom. A Royal Academy of Sciences of Lisbon Collar Chain Award

(Academia Real das Sciencias de Lisboa). Badge with a three-piece construction, in silver gilt, with an eight-pointed star base, each star point with seven emanating rays, obverse centrepiece illustrating a standing helmeted woman dressed in robes, her right hand extended and releasing six laurel wreaths, her left hand resting upon a shield bearing the Portuguese coat-of-arms, with a stack of books and a Staff of Hermes at her feet, reverse centrepiece inscribed "XIII DE DEZEMBRO MDCCCLI" (December 13, 1851) within an open-ended wreath formed by two branches of laurel leaves, surrounded by the inscription "ACADEMIA REAL DAS SCIENCIAS DE LISBOA" (Royal Academy of Sciences of Lisbon), measuring 65 mm (w) x 77.7 mm (h) inclusive its ball and loop suspension. The badge is attached to a collar chain bearing twenty-four silver gilt laurel wreaths, each wreath measuring 22.5 mm (w) x 31.3 mm (h) inclusive of the integral rings at either end, joined to each other by a single ring, with a 15.5 mm (w) x 24.3 mm (h) clasp with hook at the mid-point of the chain that appears at the back of the wearer's neck, the full-length of the chain measuring 800 mm in length and incorporating hooks at either end that secure it to the loop on the badge. Very light contact, near extremely fine.

Footnote: The Lisbon Academy of Sciences GCSE is Portugal's national academy dedicated to the advancement of sciences and learning, with the goal of promoting academic progress and prosperity in Portugal. It is one of Portugal's most prestigious scientific authorities and the official regulator of the Portuguese language in Portugal, through its Class of Letters. The academy was founded on December 24, 1779 in Lisbon, Portugal, by João Carlos de Bragança, Duke de Lafões, who served as the academy's first President, and José Correia da Serra, who served as its first secretary-general. Domenico Vandelli was among its mentors and early organizers. The academy received royal patronage under Queen Maria I of Portugal in 1783, bestowing the title of Royal Academy of Sciences (Real Academia das Ciências) unto the institution. The seat of the academy in Lisbon has been located in the Bairro Alto district of Lisbon since 1834. The Academy has two classes: the Class of Sciences and the Class of Letters, and each has thirty full members and sixty corresponding members distributed in six sections. It also has a number of foreign members. The Academy was one of the first national members of the International Council for Science, is one of two Portuguese members of the European Science Foundation and is the Portuguese partner of the European Science Exchange Programme of The Royal Society (United Kingdom).