two metal plaques with a crown and a crown on them
MILLON

612 - EXTREMELY RARE PAIR OF EPaulettes BELONGING TO FIELD MARSHAL
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Estimate €3,000 - €5,000
Sale commission
Description
EXTREMELY RARE PAIR OF EPaulettes BELONGING TO FIELD MARSHAL GRAND DUKE MICHEL NIKOLAEVICH OF RUSSIA (1832–1909) A pair of adjutant-general’s epaulettes from the Imperial Retinue on a red background with white edging, featuring gold zigzag general’s braid with a gold button, embroidered in gold thread with the cipher of Field Marshal Grand Duke Michel Nikolaevich of Russia (1832–1909), resting upon his two marshal’s batons (since April 1878); the cipher of Tsar Alexander II beneath the imperial crown, in silver thread, surmounts the whole. Signs of wear. Russia, 1878–1881. H. 15 cm. Provenance Grand Duke Michel Nikolaevich of Russia (1832–1909), brother of Emperor Alexander II, Field Marshal of the Empire. He wore these epaulettes for only three years, between April 1878—when he was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal—and March 1881, the date of the assassination of his elder brother, Tsar Alexander II. History Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich Romanov (1832–1909), the youngest son of Emperor Nicholas I and brother of Emperor Alexander II, was one of the most distinguished military leaders of the Russian Empire. A general from a young age, he commanded the Caucasus Army and served as Viceroy of the Caucasus from 1862 to 1881. As the architect of the definitive conquest of the Western Caucasus and the victories in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, he was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal on 16 (28) April 1878. In the same year, he was awarded the Imperial Military Order of St George, 1st Class, the Empire’s highest military honour, a distinction bestowed on only 25 individuals between 1769 and 1917, of whom only four were Romanovs. A member of the retinue of His Imperial Majesty Tsar Alexander II in the capacity of adjutant-general from 25 January (6 February) 1856, he held a prominent position at the Imperial Court until the end of his life, making him a legendary figure for any collector of Imperial Russian militaria.
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About the sale Russian Art – Mr G’s Collection – Part 3
Auction location
Auction time 09/18/2026 at 11:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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