Belgium - Military medal - Belgian Civil Cross, 2nd Class

The Civil Decoration was originally established by Royal Decree on 21 July 1867 under King Leopold II. It was designed to reward citizens who distinguished themselves by exceptional achievements, long loyal service in the administration, or acts of courage and self-sacrifice.
There are two main forms of this decoration:
1. The Civic Cross: Reserved for higher offices or specific levels of merit (subdivided into 1st class [gold] and 2nd class [silver]).

Appearance details of the cross

• The Monogram: The central white medallion contains two interlaced 'L' letters, referring to the founder King Leopold II. The reverse of the medallion has exactly the same design.
• The Class: The difference between the 1st and 2nd class is the color of the metal. The 1st class is gilded (gold-colored), whereas the 2nd class shown here is executed in silver or silver-colored metal.