Page:The Book of Orders of Knighthood and Decorations of Honour of All Nations.djvu/614

Rh The following are the principal provisions of the statutes:

a. The decoration for officers, sub-officers, and privates to consist of a black cross, the middle of the obverse to exhibit the initials in monogram of his royal highness the Grand Duke, and above it the royal crown, while the reverse is to contain within an oaken wreath the number of years service.

b. The cross to be divided into two classes, the first having for distinction a silver edge. Both are to be worn fastened to the left side of the breast by a ribbon of the national colour.

c. The claim to the first class is founded on twenty years' and to the second on ten years' service, and good conduct. On receiving the cross of the first class, that of the second must be returned. Fr officers, the years served as sub-officers or privates count in the term required for the decoration. Years of campaign count double.

2 Medal for Faithful Warriors—It was founded by the Grand Duke Charles Augustus, on the 4th December, 1815, for the troops who had distinguished themselves in the campaigns from 1809 down to that period.

After the death of the possessors, the medals are ordered to be suspended in the churches of their respective birthplaces.

3. Civil Medal of Merit.—During his stay at Paris in 1815, the Grand Duke Charles Augustus had a medal struck, the obverse of which represented his effigy, and the reverse exhibited the words: ' Carolus Augustus Magnus Dux Saxonie,' or 'Mitescunt Aspera Seecula' (The severity of the times is ameliorated). The medal was either of bronze, silver, or gold, and was allowed to be appended to the red ribbon of the Falcon decoration.

At the same time with the above, was also struck at Paris a smaller medal, the obverse showing the effigy of the Grand Duke, and the reverse the words: ' Doctarum frontium preemia'