Item number: M391

Year: AD 1895-1917

Material: Gold

Size: 34.0 x 29.5 mm

Provenance: Stack’s Bowers 2024

This is a “Medal for Zeal” issued from AD 1895 onward by Nicholas II, the last Tsar of the Russian Empire. The medal was produced in both gold and silver versions, with variations in size, including larger medals for neck ribbons and smaller ones for breast ribbons. This gold medal belongs to the smaller breast ribbon category.

This medal is circular in shape, with a loop at the top connecting it to a ribbon featuring a red background with a white stripe. The obverse depicts a left-facing portrait of Nicholas II, surrounded by the Russian inscription “Б.М. НИКОЛАЙ II ИМПЕРАТОРЪ И САМОДЕРЖЕЦЪ ВСЕРОСС.”, which translates to “By the Grace of God, Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia.” The reverse is decorated with laurel and oak branches tied together at the lower left corner, while the centre bears the pre-revolutionary Russian inscription “ЗА УСЕРДІЕ” (For Zeal).

The history of the “Medal for Zeal” in the Russian Empire dates to AD 1801, when Tsar Alexander I instituted the award. Initially, it was granted exclusively to civil servants and came in a wide variety of designs. Each subsequent tsar issued their own version of the medal, progressively expanding the range of recipients. By the reign of Nicholas II, the scope of the award had broadened significantly. Following the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War in AD 1905, a new batch of gold and silver medals was issued to lower-ranking military officers. On May 26, AD 1915, new regulations were introduced specifying the materials and sizes of the medals.

物件編號: M391

年代: 公元 1895-1917 年

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 34.0 x 29.5 mm

來源: SBP錢幣拍賣 2024

這是一枚公元1895年起，俄羅斯帝國末代沙皇尼古拉二世頒發的「勤勉獎章」。勤勉獎章分為金銀兩種，並且按尺寸有較大的頸綬和較小的胸綬獎章。這枚金質獎章屬於尺寸較小的胸綬獎章。

這枚獎章外觀為圓形，頂端以一個圓環銜接紅底白條的綬帶。獎章正面是尼古拉二世的左側肖像，周圍的俄文銘文「Б.М. НИКОЛАЙ II ИМПЕРАТОРЪ И САМОДЕРЖЕЦЪ ВСЕРОСС.」為尼古拉二世的頭銜「皇帝和全俄羅斯的獨裁者」。獎章背面的左下角以打結的月桂和橡樹枝條作為裝飾，中央以十月革命以前的舊俄文標示「ЗА УСЕРДІЕ」(為了勤勉)。

俄羅斯帝國頒發勤勉獎章的歷史能追溯到公元1801年，時任沙皇的亞歷山大一世頒布，其最初的贈與對象僅限於公務人員，且形制十分多元。後續的每一位沙皇皆有頒布自身的勤勉獎章，且頒發的對象不斷擴大。到了尼古拉二世的統治時期，由於公元1905年日俄戰爭的爆發，政府又頒發了一批金銀兩種材質的勤勉獎章給予下級軍官。並且在公元1915年5月26日，針對獎章的材質和尺寸頒布新的規定。