Bavaria, Kingdom. A Military Merit Order, III Class with Swords, by Gebrüder Hemmerle, c.1915

(Militär Verdienstorden, III Klasse) Instituted 19 July 1866. A Maltese cross paty constructed of silver-gilt and multi-coloured enamels, the obverse centre bears a black enamel medallion bearing a gilt crowned cipher of King Ludwig III within a white enamel ring in the form of a buckled belt with gilt letters reading “MERENTI” (MERIT), the arms of the cross are in blue enamel, the reverse centre bears a black enamel medallion with a gilt crowned Bavarian lion within a white enamel ring in the form of a buckled belt with the date “1866” in gilt, gilt flames lay in the quadrants between the cross arms, suspended from arabesques with two upwards facing crossed swords at the top, with loop for suspension on a white ribbon with blue and black stripes, marked GH 900 on sword denoting silver content and make Gebrüder Hemmerle, measuring 41.27 mm (w) x 49.87 mm (h), very fine.