Order of the Southern Cross (Grand Cross)

The Grand Cross of the Imperial-Brazilian Order of the Southern Cross was donated by Emperor Pedro I of Brazil, who was also King of Portugal (1798–1834) as Dom Pedro IV. His daughter Dona Maria II (1819–1853) succeeded him to the Portuguese throne and eventually married Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry (1816–1885), who was going to rule as titular King Dom Fernando II. The present exemplar of the Order reached the art collections of the Veste Coburg through a member of the ducal House of Coburg. The inscription on the obverse names the donor: PETRUS I BRASILIAE IMPERATOR, on the reverse the motto of the Order: BENEMERERENTIUM PRAEMIUM (Wages of the well-deserved) may be read.

To the digitised copy