Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., 1st type Companion’s breast badge with later crown added, gold and enamels, hallmarks for London 1817, lacking straight bar suspension but with gold buckle on ribbon, heavy soldering below crown, some enamel damage to centres, otherwise very fine and extremely rare £800-900

The Order was instituted by King George III on 12 August 1818 in commemoration of placing the Ionian Islands under British protection and of gaining the sovereignty of the Island of Malta. The Order was bestowed in three classes and all recipients were given the title of ‘Knight’. Originally, the Order was to be awarded only to those natives of Malta and the Ionian Islands who were, ‘nobly born or eminently distinguished for their merit, virtue and loyalty’ and to those of the United Kingdom, holding high appointments on Malta, the Ionian Islands or the Mediterranean in general. Unlike the higher classes, the early companions breast badge was produced and awarded without a crown suspension; not until 1832 was this oversight rectified and crowns added to the earlier badges as they became available.