Silver-gilt and blue enamel five-armed cross pattée indented with ball-tipped finials,with points between the arms, the arms with gilt-edged inset pale blue enamel panels, with loop, gilt and green enamel laurel wreath and ribbon ring suspension, the ribbon ring with silver hallmarks and ‘900’ purity mark; the face with a circular central medallion bearing the arms of Guatemala within a white enamel ring inscribed in gilt letters ‘GUATEMALA • AL MERITO’; the reverse with a pale blue central medallion bearing the gilt Roman numerals ‘MCMXXXVI’ (1936) within a white enamel ring inscribed in gilt letters ‘ORDEN DEL QUETZAL’; height excluding suspension ring 26.64mm (1.05 inch), width 15.95mm (0.63 inch); slight loss of white enamel from the base of the medallion of the face and a few contact marks; lacking ribbon. The Order was instituted in 1936 and is awarded for international, civic, scientific, literary and artistic services to Guatemala. The quetzal is a magnificent bird that inhabits the tropical forests of Guatemala. This example came from the workshops of De Greef of Brussels.
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