Orders of Austria, Veteran Badges and Crosses, Plate V, Wood Engraving, 1844

An original antique wood engraving, colored by hand with watercolor, showing seven Austrian insignia. At the top are a bronze colored oval plaque (18) with a plumed helmet over a trophy of spears, a flag, a drum and a cannon barrel within a border of leaves; a badge (22) on a black ribbon, a red cross edged in blue over a black double headed eagle inside a blue oval frame; and a bronze colored six sided rayed plate (17) with a lettered ring inside a laurel wreath around a quatrefoil. In the middle row are a black cross with a broad white border and a rosette at its center (19); a black cross bordered in white and gold (20), hung on a black ribbon from a black helmet with a gold crown and white plumes; and a gold cross with trefoil ends (21), each arm marked with a small cross, on a red and white striped ribbon, its blue center lettered in script. Across the foot is a gold collar (16) of scrolled openwork, links and studded bands, centered on a wreath of oak leaves.

The plate is headed "AUTRICHE." (Austria) at the upper left and numbered "V." at the upper right, with items numbered 16 to 22. The oval plaque (18) and the six sided plate (17) are lettered "VETERANIS" (To the veterans). The badge (22) carries a scroll lettered "SALUS ET GLORIA" (Salvation and glory), and the blue center of the gold cross (21) reads "Piis Meritis" (For pious merits) in script.

The plate comes from Ordres de Chevalerie et Marques d'Honneur, published in Brussels in 1844 by the Librairie Historique-Artistique, rue de Schaerbeek, 12, with the title page reading "publié par Auguste Wahlen"; the half title is Histoire, costumes, décorations de tous les ordres de chevalerie, et marques d'honneur. Auguste Wahlen was the pen name of the Belgian writer Jean-François-Nicolas Loumyer (1801 to 1875), and the title page lists his own knighthoods in orders of Prussia, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Hanover, Greece, the Roman States, Saxe-Coburg and Brazil.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.