Bavaria, Kingdom. A Military Merit Cross, IV Class with Swords, c.1915

(Militär-Verdienstkreuz IV. Klasse mit Schwertern). Instituted 19 July 1866 by King Ludwig II. (1905-1918 Issue). A silver Maltese Cross with blue enameled arms, with flames between the arms of the cross, the obverse with a central black enameled medallion bearing a silver crowned cipher of King Ludwig III within a white enameled border in the form of a buckled belt with silver letters reading “MERENTI” (“MERIT”), the reverse with a central black enameled medallion bearing a silver crowned Bavarian lion rampant within a white enameled border in the form of a buckled belt, dated “1866”, on loop for suspension from its period original ribbon, marked 900 on sword, measuring 41.20 mm (w) x 50.36 mm (h), weighing 26.0 grams, in near extremely fine condition.