"Privately Commissioned" 3rd class Order of St. George

Gold, enamel.
Size 48.1 mm.
Unmarked.

Allegedly cross have been obtained by the vendor from the family of Sir Patrick Ross, a direct descendant of the great Arctic and Antarctic explorers Sir James Clark Ross (1800-62) and his uncle Sir John Ross (1777-1856). According to family tradition this badge was presented to Sir James Clark Ross on the occasion of his reception by the Tsar in the company of Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen (1778-1852), when both men were said to have been honoured. No official record of this award, which would in any event have been an unlikely choice of honour for Sir James, has been traced. His uncle Sir John Ross was awarded the Order of St Anne, for which William IV granted him ‘permission to wear’ in 1834, while von Bellingshausen’s own honours included both the Order of St George (Fourth Class) and the Order of St Vladimir. Slim possibility remains that this privately commissioned badge might represent an informal gift to Sir James Clark Ross. Otherwise (and most likely) this is a nicely executed collectors copy.