Breast Badge, 25 g., dia. 33 mm., GOLD, the obverse with crowned, oval shield at Savoy arms flanked by palm and laurel branches tied below; around, the inscription “AL VALORE MILITARE”, below, the engraver’s initials “F.G.” (Giuseppe Ferraris, engraver/medallist at Turin’s Royal Mint), the reverse with broad laurel wreath, bearing the engraved naming “HOHENZOLLERN / PRINCIPE / FEDERICO CARLO / COMANDANTE LA / 1A ARMATA”, around, above, “GUERRA CONTRO L’AUSTRIA” and below “BATTAGLIA DI SADOWA 3 LUGLIO 1866” (below the word “BATTAGLIA”, the typical die-flaw of the medals struck by the Turin Mint for the 1866 Campaign), typical, stirrup-shaped suspension loop and original, deep-sea-blue silk ribbon.
An Outstandingly rare medal, being the highest honour for valour displayed in the front of enemy, created by the King of Sardinia in 1833 in the three grades of Gold, Silver and (later) Bronze; this piece was awarded by Victor Emanuel II King of Italy, to the Prussian Prince Friedrich Karl of Hohenzollern who, at the battle of Sadowa (also known as “Königgrätz), commanding the 1st Prussian Army, gave the resolutive impulse that defeated the Austrian Troops, Mint condition. I RR!
Note: Friedrich Karl of Hohenzollern, Prince of Prussia (1828 – 1885), received a military education since his early youth and lived a career where his skills and military capacities influenced the modernization and strategy of the Prussian Army. He took part to the war against Denmark in 1864, where he took important victories as allied of Austria, in 1866, at the outbreak of the war against Austria, as a General der Kavallerie he took the command of the 1st Army, composed of 4 Army Corps and a Cavalry Corps, operating an intelligent manoeuvre (also against the opinion of the Prussian Supreme Headquarters!) that led his unit to the field of Sadowa (Königgrätz) where, also outnumbered by the Austrian troops under General Benedek, giving the decisive struck that forced the Austrian to fall back from the battlefield, after having suffered severe losses. Friedrich Carl, took part to the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71 too, achieving great victories, with the troops under his command. Amongst his many honours, he received the hereby described Italian Gold Medal, the Grand Cross of the Pour le Mérite Order and the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (1870).