Description
This is a very interesting award document (urkunde) for the Red Eagle Order 2nd Class. It is the earliest award document we have ever offered [with the exception of award documents for the 1813 Iron Cross 2nd Class signed by King Friedrich Wilhelm III, the grandfather of King (later Kaiser) Wilhelm I]. This document was signed by King Wilhelm I on 18 January 1863. The recipient was Dr. Albert Sigismund Jaspis, the Generalsuperintendant of Pommern in Stettin (1809-1885). The award was actually for the Red Eagle Order 2nd Class with Bow. The use of the bow was a unique addition to the Red Eagle Order, which marked the recipient for the award of a higher class at a later date. The format of the document is identical to that which was used until the end of the Empire in 1918.
