Greece, Orthodox Church. An Order Of St. Dionysius Of Zakynthos, Grand Cross, C.1950

Badge: in silver with navy blue and white enamels, measuring 55.2 mm (w) x 56.7 mm (h), on its original full-length sash; and Breast Star: in silver with navy blue and white enamels, measuring 92 mm (w) x 92.5 mm (h), vertical pinback. Intact enamels, extremely fine.

Footnote: Saint Dionysios of Zakynthos was a sixteenth-century Orthodox Christian Archbishop of Aegina, born on the Greek island of Zakynthos in 1546. He is the patron saint of Zakynthos (sometimes called Zante in English) and is celebrated on August 24th and December 17th. In his early life, Dionysios joined a monastery a few miles off the coast of Zakynthos. After a while living there, he was encouraged by his fellow monks to be ordained as a priest, of which he did. He eventually decided to travel to the Holy Land by way of Athens. After arriving in Athens, he was made Archbishop of Aigina despite personal protests in humility. In about the year 1589, the Patriarch of Constantinople made Archbishop Dionysios the Archbishop of Zakynthos, he stayed in this position until a permanent Archbishop arrived. After this, he returned to his island monastery where he lived out the rest of his life until his death on November 17, 1624.

This offering is a part of the "Dr. Albert Goodwin Collection", a preeminent assemblage of world Orders, Medals, and Decorations composed solely by Dr.Goodwin between 1946-1967. Dr. Goodwin had a successful career as an educator and prominent physician in New York as well as actively serving in both World Wars with the United States Medical Corps. He acted as both President and Vice-President of the Orders and Medals Society of America (OMSA) and is responsible for organizing their first convention in 1960. He maintained further membership with the American Society of Military Collectors, the International Orders Research Society, and the American Numismatic Society. His knowledge and passion for history and awards is evident in this meticulously compiled collection that is now available in its entirety for the first time exclusively on eMedals.com.