Russia, Imperial An Order of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker 1914-1917, Version 1 with Griffins

Item #M0041-34

$600

Russia, Imperial An Order of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker 1914-1917, Version 1 with Griffins

 

Russia (Imperial); Three-piece construction, silver gilt with white enamels, unmarked, inscribed "BEЛ. MIPOB. BOЙHA 1914 Г.-1917 Г." (Great World War 1914-1917) on the reverse, 34 mm (w) x 37 mm (h), original five-sided folded ribbon, scratch in the white enamels on the bottom arm, otherwise the enamels are intact, near extremely fine. 
 

Footnote: The Order of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker was originally a medal, instituted in 1929 by the Russian pretender, Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich and conferred on Russian veterans who had fought in the First World War. According to the eminent Soviet specialist I.G. Spasskiy, an order with this name was planned already in 1915, during the last year of the reign of Tsar Nicholas II, but the project was never completed because of the political development. Fourteen years later, the idea was adopted by Russians living in exile and the order was founded on July 19, 1929 by a cousin to the last Czar, Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich, who had assumed the title of the Emperor of All the Russias in 1924. Originally the order had only one class and all Russian veterans of the First World War were entitled to receive it. There exist, however, enamelled and unenamelled badges, and one can assume that the enamelled ones were awarded to officers and the simpler ones to NCOs and privates.