Badges of Excellence for Faultless Service made by Otto Roland Mellin workshop /R.M./

Swedish born Roland Mellin (1803-1871) became a master goldsmith in Gelsingfors (Helsinki) in 1833, then founded the firm of Roland Mellin, the preeminent Finnish firm of gold and silversmiths in the 19th Century. His son Otto Roland Mellin (1834 -1904) was among the foundation graduates of the Technical Realschule in Gelsingfors, where classes commenced in 1858. He continued his studies in St Petersburg and Paris, and succeeded his father in their firm in 1868. Otto is best known for his Archaeological Revival jewellery based on Nordic artefacts. Among his claims to fame was his position as court jeweller to Finnish born Aurora Karamzina, a long-time member of the inner circle of the Romanovs (the Russian Emperors ruled the Grand Duchy of Finland as an autonomous part of the Russian Empire from 1809 to 1917).

Workshop marks.

Gold.

Silver.

Badges of Excellence for Faultless Service.

Silver, gilding.
Size 28.8×33 mm.

Year mark A4 = 1882.

 

Marks.

V4 = 1902

Size 32,6×29,1 mm.

 

This badge was Issued to Lt. General Josif Orel, Artillery Commander of the Kazan Military District on August 24, 1904.

 

Silver, gilding.
Size 33х30 mm.
Weight 10.6 g.

Y4 = 1904

 

Badge with two maker's marks.

RM + HM mark.

Looks like M3 = 1869.

 

Silver, gilding.
Size 29.2×33 mm.
Weight 8.13 g.
Marked with year mark Z3 = 1881, overstamped silver hallmark "13L" (for 13 luoti), double stamped city mark "rook under the crown" (for Helsingfors), "crown", maker's mark "RM".

Marks.

 

Interesting variation.

Bronze, silver, gilding.
Size 29.5×32.8 mm.
Weight 7.61 g.

Only town mark and maker's mark. No silver hallmarks.