RUSSIA, ORDER OF ST. ANDREW |

another privately-made breast star, Cambridge No. 2, circa 1845 of, smaller module and unsigned, in platinum with centre in gold and enamels, reverse with single brooch-pin and backplate engraved ‘No. 2’, width 71.8mm, weight 38.17g all in, reverse with maker’s tooling marks, extremely fine

The following six lots form the Order of St Andrew presentation made to the 2nd Duke during Tsar Alexander II’s State Visit to Great Britain in May 1874. At the end of the visit the Duke wrote to his mother, on 23 May: ‘Thank God, the visit of the Emperor of Russia passed off well. All was well done and the reception friendly and good in every way… …He gave me the St Andrew’s Order which carries with it all the other great Orders of Russia, so that I am now bien décoré with Russian Orders!’