Austria, Empire. An Honour Decoration of the Red Cross, Officer Cross with War Decoration, c. 1918

(Ehrenzeichen vom Roten Kreuz). Instituted August 14th, 1914. A silver cross with silver, red, white, and green enamels, the obverse with a circular central white enamelled medallion bearing a red enamelled Greek Cross (“Red Cross”), surrounded by a band of red enamels inscribed with “Patriae ac Humanitati” (Country and Humanity) in Latin, with a “War Decoration” in the form of a green enamelled laurel and oak wreath superimposed onto the cross, the reverse plain, inscribed “1864” and “1914”, with two “J” hooks for attachment to a uniform, marked “800” for silver content, “K”, and Austrian hallmarked with a Diana’s head (Dianakopf - used between 1872 and 1922), the head flanked by a “2” on the left and an “A” on the right, as well as maker marked “G.A.S” for “G.A. Scheid” on the lower prong, measuring 47.7 mm (w) x 56.6 mm (l), weighing 33.53 grams, the green enamels on the war decorations chipped in spots, in overall better than very fine condition.