Russia, Imperial. An Order Of St. Stanislaus In Gold, I Class Badge, By Ivan Keibel, C.1870

(Орден Святого Станислава). Instituted 7 May 1765 by Stanislaus II Augustus Pontiakowski. Reinstituted by Tsar Nicholas I in 1832. Of high quality manufacture by the workshop of Ivan Keibel, which was court purveyor from 1836 (until 1910), a superb ball-tipped enameled red Maltese Cross in Gold, adorning by delicate ribbed fans in the exterior of each arm, the quadrants featuring detailed Romanov imperial Gold eagles, the obverse with a central enameled white medallion bearing a red Latin script monogram of Saint Stanislaus, surrounded by a ring of Gold with enameled green laurel leaves, the reverse with an identical central monogram, marked a Gold zolotnik mark of “56” on the obverse suspension ring, along with Cyrillic maker’s firm “ІК” on the reverse six o’clock arm, as well as typical Romanov royal warrant on the reverse twelve o’clock arm, measuring 61.05 mm (w) x 66.33 mm (h), weighing 27 grams, on elongated loop for suspension, presenting minor loss of green enamel, with light contact, otherwise an exquisite piece in extremely fine.

Footnote: Originally this was a Polish Order created on May 7, 1765 by King Stanislaus II, to honour the Patron Saint of Poland, St. Stanislas of Krakow. This Order became a Russian Order after the Polish Rebellion of 1830, when Polish forces were suppressed. It was adopted as a Russian Order in 1831.