3 Baden: Military Order of Karl Friedrich, Knight's Cross from the time of the Napoleonic Wars, 1809 / 1819.

Gold and enamel, without ribbon. The order's motto ""FÜR BADENS EHRE"" on the medallions in gold painting. The griffin of Baden on the front medallion separately applied in silver. The cipher of the founder of the Order, Grand Duke Carl Friedrich "CF", separately applied in gold in the reverse medallion. The crown in a particularly domed design and finely chiselled.

French gold hallmark (cock's head 1809 - 1819) in the band ring.

A beautifully crafted example of the Cross of the Order in the finest quality from the time of the Napoleonic campaigns, in which the people of Baden initially fought alongside Emperor Napoleon as an allied state of the Confederation of the Rhine and from 1813 fought against France in the Wars of Liberation.

Count Klenau describes this type in his order book as "Karlsruhe manufacture", a hypothesis that can be clearly refuted in view of the French hallmarking of this piece.

It is rather the other way round. The pieces classified by Klenau as Parisian productions are in fact the originals made in Karlsruhe. This is supported by the fact that this type of manufacture can be found in all three classes of the order.

Due to the alliance situation, French productions occasionally occur in orders of different Rhine Confederation states and are certainly to be regarded as highly interesting and particularly rare examples of the political circumstances of the time.

However, as the French bearers originally received regular decorations, it was certainly only in rare individual cases, for example when the awarded specimen was lost, that specimens were ordered at private expense from Parisian jewellers.

This makes the example of French manufacture offered here all the more interesting and fascinating, as it documents the brotherhood in arms between France and Baden within the framework of the Confederation of the Rhine, which was sealed by the marriage of the adopted daughter of Emperor Napoleon, Stephanie de Beauharnais, to the heir to the throne of Baden, Charles (Grand Duke 1811-1818).

This specimen is illustrated and described in Klingbeil / Thies, Orden 1700 - 2000, Vol. I, Kirchheim / Teck 2008, p. 42 f, No. 99.

Minimal minor chips and signs of wear, but in excellent condition considering its age for a military order of valour.