Netherlands, Kingdom. An Order Of Orange-Nassau, V Class Knight, C.1920

(Ordre van Oranje-Nassau). Instituted in 1892. Early Issue. In silver with blue and white enamels, Gold centrepieces, maker marked "WS" on the ring, measuring 38.5 mm (w) x 59.5 mm (h) inclusive of its crown suspension and laterally-pierced ball suspension, chipping and crazing evident in the white enamels on the arms and the centrepiece rings on both sides, one of the ball finials bent back on each of the arms at 3, 6 and 9 o'clock, fair.

Footnote: The Order of Orange-Nassau is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on April 4, 1892 by the Queen regent Emma, acting on behalf of her under-age daughter Queen Wilhelmina. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has earned special merits for society". These are people who deserve appreciation and recognition from society for the special way in which they have carried out their activities. The lower grades of the order are comparable with the ranks of the Order of the British Empire in the United Kingdom, but titles, prefixes or post-nominals (other than academic ones) are not used in the Netherlands (the only exception being for members of the Military William Order)