40mm wide silver-gilt-edged white enamel cross pattée with eyelet with indistinct maker’s mark, national crown mark and ‘813H’ silver purity mark for 830 silver and with ornate silver gilt and red enamel suspension ring; the face with a red enamel circular central medallion bearing a silver gilt lion of Finland within a ridged ring with red enamel ties; the reverse plain white enamel; on original ribbon with rosette denoting a first class award. Comes with A. Tillander (of Stokholm) award case. A very good early, WW2 made example.

The Order was established on 11 September 1942 and may be awarded for both military and civilian merit to Finns and to foreigners.

It was designed by Oskar Pihl, son of Fabergé’s Moscow master, who was the influential head designer of the Finnish jeweller and silversmith Tillander from 1923 to 1957.

The aim of the creation of the Order was to prevent dilution of the Order of the Cross of Liberty and the Order of the White Rose of Finland at a time when Finland’s heroic struggle against Soviet forces was daily littered with acts of heroism and merit that deserved recognition.