Item number: M28

Year: AD 1830-1860

Material: Gold and Enamel

Size: 99.0 x 40.0 mm

Weight: 20.93 g

Manufactured by: Madrid

Provenance: Liverpool Medals 2022

The full name of the Order is the “Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III” (Real y Distinguida Orden Española de Carlos III ). Established in AD 1771 by King Charles III to celebrate the birth of his grandson, the heir to the throne, after four years of the crown prince’s marriage. Since AD 1847, this Order has been open to Spanish civilians. The Charles III Order has five levels, this item is the Knight class, which is the fifth and lowest level of the order. (See table)

The Knight class include a light blue ribbon with a width of 101mm, featuring a central white stripe that is 33mm wide. The ribbon is undecorated, and it is fastened to the gold laurel wreath (with a light blue enameled bow decoration) and the insignia through a suspension ring. The insignia is made of gold and takes the form of a Maltese cross, adorned with white and deep blue enamel. Each of the eight endpoints of the cross is capped with a small gold ball, and four Bourbon fleur de lis, symbolizing the Bourbon royal family, are set at specific angles.

The central gold-rimmed oval section of the insignia features, on the obverse side, an image of the Immaculate Conception surrounded by blue enamel. The inclusion of the Immaculate Conception is based on Charles III’s belief that the protection of the Virgin Mary was essential for the royal family to give birth to a male heir. On the reverse side of the insignia, there is a white enamel background with the initials of Charles III surrounded by a laurel wreath. The inscription of the insignia bears the Latin inscription “VIRTUTI ET MERITO,” which translates to “For Virtue and Merit.”

物件編號: M28

年代: 公元 1830-1860 年

材質: 黃金, 琺瑯

尺寸: 99.0 x 40.0 mm

重量: 20.93 g

製造地: 馬德里

來源: 利物浦獎章 2022

此勳章全名為「西班牙皇家傑出查理三世勳章」(Real y Distinguida Orden Española de Carlos III)。公元1771年時任國王的查理三世為慶祝兒子，即皇太子和妻子結縭四年後，總算生下一名男嬰所設立的勳章。自公元1847年起，該勳章已經全面對西班牙平民開放。查理三世勳章依序有五個等級，此物件是第五級等的騎士級勳章。(見表格)

騎士級規格的襟綬勳章，其淺藍色綬帶，寬101mm，正中央有一道寬33mm的白色條紋。綬帶上無任何的裝飾，以扣環銜接鍍金月桂花環(有一淺藍色琺瑯塗裝的蝴蝶結裝飾)跟綬章固定。綬章為金質打造，外觀呈馬耳他十字狀，並以白色和深藍色琺瑯作彩繪。十字架的八個頂端各有一粒鍍金小球，並且以特定角度跟象徵波旁皇室的四個百合花裝飾鑲嵌。

綬章中央鑲金邊的橢圓部位，正面是藍色琺瑯包圍的無玷聖母形象。之所以出現無玷聖母，是查理三世相信出於聖母的庇護，皇室方能誕生一名男性繼承人。綬章背面以白色琺瑯為背景，中央繪有月桂花環包圍的查理三世縮寫名諱。綬章邊緣有拉丁文書寫的格言「VIRTUTI ET MERITO」，即美德和功績的意思。