Vatican, International. A Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Mary of Bethlehem, Commander, c.1940

(Ordine Militare ed Ospedaliero di Santa Maria di Betlemme). Instituted in 1459. Badge with a three-piece construction, in bronze gilt with blue enamels, the obverse centrepiece with a lighter shade of blue enamels, the badge suspended from trophy-of-arms with a two-piece construction in fire gilt bronze with blue and white enamels, measuring 58 mm (w) x 112 mm (h) inclusive of its trophy-of-arms suspension, intact enamels, extremely fine.

 Footnote: The Order of Our Lady of Bethlehem was established in 1459 by Pope Pius II as a military order for the defence of the island of Lemnos against the Turks. However, when the Knights were defeated in 1479, they moved to Naples, Italy and the Order was no longer a holistic military organization. This location became the central residence for the knights and the supreme master until the beginning of the twentieth century. In modern times, the Order seems to have been a private initiative and was in existence from the 1930s but seems to have become defunct.