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Manufacturers of the Saxon Albert Order
 

The order of Albert was founded in 1850 an had quite an interesting history. Featuring possibly one of the strongest Christian designs the shape of the decorations resembled the true proportions of a Christian cross. The center showed, so they believed, the bust of the founder of the Albertinien family line Albert the stout-hearted. Yet is was by mistake Albert the Perennial, which after discovering the mistake caused the model change in 1875.

 

I always found those busts to be very handy while identifying the different manufacturers of the order. You will see below one example of each bust. The size of the bust varied by class so that we would need to look at 2 different sizes: 

 

a) Grand- and Commander Cross with their stars

b) Officer and both grades of the knights cross

Luckily design and style so characteristic for each manufacturer does not change in-between those sizes:

 

Official manufacturers and suppliers of the Order of Albert:

 

Busts on the 1st type Decorations 1850-1875

 

Mortiz Elimeyer was court jeweler to the Saxons from 1856 to 1909. He was not a regular supplier to the orders chancellery but was contracted whenever there was a need for special and extremely decorative pieces. 

Gustav Adolph Scharffenberg was born in 1805. He started his jeweler business in 1834 and took over the supply to the Saxon orders chancellery in 1849 after the former appointed supplier Künzel deceased.

Christian Friedrich Rothe originated in the Saxe-Atlenburg region. He moved to Vienna and took over a goldsmith business in 1844. Hi quality workmanship made him quite famous in Europe. He started supplying decoration to the Saxons in 1862. He received a larger order from the orders chancellery in 1866 and tried since then to get repeat business.

 

Busts on the 2nd type Decorations 1876-1918

 

made by Scharffenberg

Alfred Roesner had since 1890 the title of a princely court jeweler. He was awarded the title of a court jeweler in 1912 and was regular supplier to the orders chancellery since 1915.

In 1868 Glaser & Sohn was founded by Moritz Glaser. They started supplying in 1911.

made by Rothe

 

Other manufacturers

 

Godet in Berlin, founded in 1761, was certainly not an official supplier to the chancellery, yet was used as much as Rothe for specially made decorations. 

You will find many more due to the fact that the order was awarded in rather large quantities all over Europe. Many court jewelers in those other European countries produced the order on request.

© A. Schulze Ising, VIII/06

 
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