Austro-Hungarian Empire. A Royal Hungarian Order Of Saint Stephen, Ii Class Commander

(Königlich-Ungarischer Hoher Ritterorden vom Heiligen Stephan). Instituted in 1764. Recent Manufacture in the Rothe Style. Badge with a three-piece construction, in silver gilt with red, white, light green and dark green enamels, of recent manufacture, unmarked but done in the Rothe of Vienna style, the badge suspended from a crown in silver gilt, measuring 45 mm (w) x 83.3 mm (h) inclusive of its crown suspension, small chip evident in the dark green enamels on the right tip of the arm at 12 o'clock on the obverse, otherwise the enamels are intact, on its full-length neck ribbon, near extremely fine.

Footnote: The Order of Saint Stephen (Szent István rend) was an order of chivalry founded on May 5, 1764 by Queen Maria Theresa, which lasted until the dissolution of Austria-Hungary in 1918. In 1938, Miklós Horthy took the rights and activities of Grand Master as Regent of Hungary, the name of the Order changing to the Royal Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen. The Order was terminated at the time of the proclamation of the Second Hungarian Republic in 1946. In 2011, the order was revived by Presidential decree as the Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen and to this day remains the highest order in Hungary and awarded for civil merit, the three grades: Grand Cross, Commander and Knight.