It is often wrongly believed (and said) that so-called "pink" medallions were used on the orders of St. George only until 1850s. This is not true. Although model specimens of St.George orders that were made by official supplier of the Imperial Kapitul /Kapitul; Capitulum; Chapter/ Julius Keibel in 1870 already have "red" medallions https://asiamedals.info/threads/orders-of-saint-george-made-by-julius-keibel-workshop-ik.25640/ crosses with "pink" medallions were still in use and even issued from the Imperial Kapitul. The latest time coordinates for such crosses known for today is 1869 and 1870 https://asiamedals.info/threads/1st-and-4th-class-st-george-orders-of-emperor-wilhelm-i.25641/ ; https://asiamedals.info/threads/4th...friedrich-julius-wilhelm-graf-von-bose.27236/.
On November 26, 1869, the centenary of the establishment of Russia’s main important order was celebrated. Illustrated works on the history of the order were presented to the Emperor. Alexander II immediately noted that the appearance of the order’s insignia varied across the illustrations. Since the drawings of the insignia for the Emperor had been produced based on specimens supplied by the Kapitul /Chapter/, the Main Intendance Directorate requested that the Kapitul deliver new insignia of the Order of St. George - in all classes - to its Museum (Specimen Department) so that drawings could be made from them. The items delivered to the Main Intendance Directorate Museum included the star (for the 1st and 2nd classes), crosses of all classes, and the Military Order’s badges of distinction (in gold and silver). It was discovered that on all officers' crosses, St. George was depicted against a pink background, whereas it should have been red according to the official sample table.
On November 26, 1869, the centenary of the establishment of Russia’s main important order was celebrated. Illustrated works on the history of the order were presented to the Emperor. Alexander II immediately noted that the appearance of the order’s insignia varied across the illustrations. Since the drawings of the insignia for the Emperor had been produced based on specimens supplied by the Kapitul /Chapter/, the Main Intendance Directorate requested that the Kapitul deliver new insignia of the Order of St. George - in all classes - to its Museum (Specimen Department) so that drawings could be made from them. The items delivered to the Main Intendance Directorate Museum included the star (for the 1st and 2nd classes), crosses of all classes, and the Military Order’s badges of distinction (in gold and silver). It was discovered that on all officers' crosses, St. George was depicted against a pink background, whereas it should have been red according to the official sample table.
Upon observing these discrepancies in the specimens of the Order of St. George insignia, Baron Steingel /director of the Main Intendance Directorate Museum/ proposed that the Kapitul investigate the matter and prepare a report for submission to the Emperor. The resolution of the issue was delayed until 1877.
On August 10, 1877, Count A. V. Adlerberg (1818–1888), Chancellor of the Russian Imperial and Royal Orders (1871–1881), informed the Kapitul that the Emperor had noted the following:
"The form prescribed by the statutes is not being observed in the currently manufactured insignia of the Order of St. George:
1. The center of the cross, which bears the image of St. George, must be larger than is currently the practice.
2. The color of the field upon which the image of St. George appears must be pink, rather than dark red, following the example of earlier crosses.
3. The 2nd class cross must be larger than those currently being made, and the 3rd-class cross smaller than those currently being made.
The members of the Kapitul convened by order of the Emperor and examined the aforementioned documents - specifically, the illustrations of the Order of St. George insignia from the statutes of 1769 and 1833, and the Imperial decree of 1857 regarding the dimensions of the 3rd class insignia - and reached the following conclusions:
1. The size of the Order of St. George insignia, as well as the size of the medallion, corresponds exactly to the size of the insignia and medallions of the Orders of St. Vladimir and St. Anna of the respective classes.
2. The statutes of the Order from 1769 and 1833 state that the center of the cross bears an enamel depiction of the coat of arms of the Tsardom of Moscow - that is, St. George on a red field; however, in the illustration included in the 1769 statute, the red color of the medallion shades into pink https://asiamedals.info/threads/first-statute-of-the-order-of-saint-george-1769.22839/, whereas in the illustration included in the 1833 statute, St. George is depicted on a bright red field. Consequently, in earlier times, the image of St. George on the Order's insignia was rendered against a dark pink field, and insignia continued to be produced by the Kapitul in this style even after the 1833 statute was issued: "However, since, pursuant to this Statute, the medallion of the cross of this Order an image of the Moscow coat of arms was to be placed, and in the Moscow coat of arms St. George is depicted on a red field, the Emperor - in 1870- graciously commanded that St. George be depicted on the cross of this order on a red field, in accordance with the Statute”.
Most likely Alexander II likely forgot his 1870 directive when he insisted on a pink medallion in 1877. The Kapitul managed to convince the Emperor that producing the orders with a red medallion was correct; Count Adlerberg noted on the document that the Emperor had ordered the production of the insignia to remain unchanged.
Finally on October 3, 1877 the Emperor Alexander II gave his final Imperial approval to the decision of the Kapitul of Imperial and Royal Orders: the medallion on the crosses of the Order of St. George was to be red; the crosses of the 1st and 2nd classes were to be identical in size; and the cross of the Order of St. George, 3rd class, was to match in size the neck-worn crosses of the Orders of St. Vladimir and St. Anna, 2nd class.
Saint George orders made by Ivan Osipov workshop during 1870s/early 1880s.
Orders of St.George made by Ivan Vasilievich Osipov /И.О/ workshop
Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky reduced breast star made by Ivan Osipov workshop https://asiamedals.info/threads/order-of-saint-alexander-nevsky-reduced-breast-star-made-by-ivan-osipov-workshop-io.28226/ Reduced Orders of the White Eagle made by Ivan Osipov workshop...
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