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Mexico, gold cross military decoration, 1821, Cross of Tepeaca - Second Class, with original suspens

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Exonumia - Medals Start Price:20,000.00 USD Estimated At:25,000.00 - 37,500.00 USD
Mexico, gold cross military decoration, 1821, Cross of Tepeaca - Second Class, with original suspens
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Mexico, gold cross military decoration, 1821, Cross of Tepeaca - Second Class, with original suspension and ribbon, extremely rare, ex-J. Coolidge Hills, ex-ANS (plated on cover), Olvera Plate. Ross & Stahl-Mx1; Grove-D5. 21.34 grams, 41mm. White enameled cross patonce with bare wreath between arms around central medallion as follows: obverse with Church and Convent of San Francisco surrounded with dark blue enamel inside raised ring enameled white except for legend SE DISTINGIO EN TEPEACA; reverse enameled white with black-enamel date in three lines as 20 21 Y 22 / DE ABRIL / DE 1821. All below suspension bar with similarly enameled legend MERECIO B[IEN DE LA] PATRIA below a gold eagle-and-snake suspension, with portion of original gray-green-red ribbon. Some enamel chipped away from middle of suspension bar but otherwise in excellent condition. Described in the Morton and Eden auction as "of the highest rarity," this decoration is extremely important as instituted by Emperor Iturbide in May 1822 to recognize distinguished military service in defense of Tepeaca under General Herrera (who eventually abandoned the city) during the War for Mexican Independence. According to both the Ross & Stahl reference and the Olvera reference in which this piece is plated (see pedigree), there were three classes of Tepeaca cross decorations ordered, First-Second-Third, corresponding to rank (the present Second-Class decoration intended for junior officers), each with its own wording. Grove points out in Medals of Mexico (Vol. III, 1974) that further specifications were up to the manufacturing jewelers, allowing for different designs. A choice piece for the ultimate collector of Mexican military history. Pedigreed to the J. Coolidge Hills collection and to the American Numismatic Society archives (Morton and Eden auction of April 2007, lot #458, plated on the back cover of the catalog), also plated on page 65 of David A. Olvera Ayes' book 100 Condecoraciones Militares Mexicanas (2017).