Austria - Military medal - Military Merit Cross of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, model 1849 - 1849

Austro-Hungarian Empire Military Merit Cross, model 1849, established by Franz Joseph on 22 October 1849. The cross is patent with arms enameled in red and a gilded border, surmounted by an imperial crown. In the center on the obverse you can see the initials FJ for Franz Joseph within a white medallion with a border bearing the motto VIRIBUS UNITIS. On the reverse the central medallion bears the date 1849, the year the reign began, with red enamels well preserved and gilding still visible. It is the crown-type, therefore of a higher grade, dating from the period 1849–1867. Height about 45–50 millimeters including the crown, and width 35–40 millimeters across the arms. Weight about 22 g.