The Royal Order
Of Vasa (Miniature),
Knight First Class
Swedish parliamentarian Gunnar Ekelund (1850-1928) with Order of Vasa
Source: Picryl
Source: Picryl
Item number: M1
Year: AD 1772-1974
Material: Gold and Enamel
Size: 76 x 24 mm
Weight: 4.57 g
Manufactured by: Stockholm
Provenance: Dixons Medals 2022
The Royal Order of Vasa (Kungliga Vasaorden) was established by King Gustav III of Sweden in AD 1772. It is a national honor awarded in four classes to individuals who have made contributions in fields such as agriculture, mining, arts, craftsmanship, technological development, commerce, education, and humanities, with no restrictions based on background or gender.
This Order is a miniature version of the Royal Order of Vasa, First Class Knight. The order has a total of five classes, and the First Class Knight’s insignia is worn with a green ribbon on the left side of the chest. (see table) Upon the recipient’s death, the Order must be returned to the state by the family.
| Grades of Order | Established in | The positioning for wearing |
| Commander Grand Cross | AD 1772 | Wears the insignia on the collar, or on the grand cordon, with the star on the left chest. |
| Commander First Class | AD 1772 | Wears the insignia on a necklet, plus the star on the left chest. |
| Commander | AD 1772 | Wears the insignia on a necklet. |
| Knight First Class / Member First Class* | AD 1772 | Wears the insignia on a ribbon on the left chest. |
| Knight / Member* | AD 1772 | Wears the insignia on a ribbon on the left chest. |
| * “Member” is the title for female recipient. | ||
This insignia is a white enamel Maltese cross, with each side embedded with a crown at a specific angle, and the top adorned with a crown decoration connected by a pin. The crowns on the front and back sides of the insignia are not seamlessly formed; there is an opening in the middle, which distinguishes it from the miniature version and the full size official version. The opening may be a result of metallurgical techniques, such as a blow hole, or it could be a deliberate design choice by the craftsman to keep the cost of production down by reducing the amount of gold used as inlay to seal the joints.
The Second Knight Class was crafted in silver, while the other classes were gold. However, during the era of World War I, most nations encountered financial strains. Consequently, there was a gradual shift towards replacing solid gold materials with gilt.
Both sides of the insignia feature the same design, with the central motif of a sheaf of wheat, known as Vasakärven in Swedish. It is derived from the coat of arms of the prominent Swedish royal family, the House of Vasa. In the AD 1930s, this symbol became controversial as it was briefly associated with the far-right in Sweden. However, after multiple reviews by the Swedish Minister of Justice, it was determined that the symbol itself was not directly linked to inciting ethnic hatred.
The second difference between the mini version and the full size official version is the inscription. On the red enamel circle with a gold border surrounding the sheaf of wheat, the official version is inscribed with “GUSTAF III INSTIKTARE MDCXXII” in Swedish, while the mini version reads “GUSTAF III INST MDCCXXII.” Both inscriptions convey the same meaning, stating “Established by Gustav III in the year 1772,” with MDCCXXII representing the Roman numeral representation of 1772.
The third difference lies in the space between the sheaf of wheat and the circle – the mini version fills this space with gold, while the official version is hollow.
皇家瓦薩勳章
一等騎士級(迷你版)
物件編號: M1
年代: 公元 1772-1974 年
材質: 黃金, 琺瑯
尺寸: 76 x 24 mm
重量: 4.57 g
製造地: 斯德哥爾摩
來源: 迪生獎章 2022
皇家瓦薩勳章 (Kungliga Vasaorden)由瑞典國王古斯塔夫三世於公元1772年設立，以國家四等榮譽頒予軍事領域外，在農礦、藝術、手工藝、技術開發、商業、教學和文科領域做出貢獻的人士，對於出身背景和性別都沒有限制。此物件為一等騎士級勳章的迷你版，皇家瓦薩勳章依序有五個等級，一等騎士級勳章以綠色綬帶別在左胸上。(見表格) 授勳者過世後，遺族必須將勳章歸還給國家。
| 勳章級別 | 創立時間 | 配戴位置 |
| 指揮官大十字級 | AD 1772 | 配戴在領口處或大綬帶上，左胸加掛一枚星章 |
| 一等指揮官級 | AD 1748 | 配戴在細頸飾上，左胸加掛一枚星章 |
| 二等指揮官級 | AD 1873 | 配戴在細頸飾上 |
| 一等騎士級/ *一等成員級 | AD 1748 | 配戴在左胸綬帶上 |
| 二等騎士級/ *二等成員級 | AD 1889 | 配戴在左胸綬帶上 |
| *「成員級」是專門給予女性授勳者的頭銜稱謂 | ||
