The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George, Knight’s breast badge, gold and enamels, 54 x 37mm excluding suspension, circa 1818-20, with wide gold swivel-ring suspension and gold ribbon buckle, nearly extremely fine and extremely rare £3500-4500

Although the original statutes of 1818 decreed that the C.M.G. should, in line with the G.C.M.G. and K.C.M.G. badges, be surmounted by a crown, this was not done, and the earliest surviving C.M.G. badges are either without a crown, or, as in this case, have a crown which has been added after 1832. These crowns were made in London, almost certainly by Rundell Bridge and Rundell, and fitted retrospectively to the badges of the existing Cavalieri.