A Brief History of the Post-1918 Order of St. Stephen Insignia by C. F. Rothe & Neffe
Much has been written over the years about the fascinating and lavish honours system of the former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. Abundant and plentiful research is readily available for every order & decoration, their phaleristic history and their insignia. The phaleristics of the K.u.K monarchy have always been a popular area for collectors and enthusiasts, but very soon after delving into this field, one finds an area much less talked about. The plethora of post-1918 ‘collectors copies’. With the rise of dubious dealers and online scammers, they have - not undeservingly - gained a somewhat controversial reputation. Whether through genuine ignorance, or more often by deliberate deception, these pieces are often presented as original pre-1918 insignia and therefore carry appropriately high price-tags. Despite this, I refrain from calling them ‘fakes’ as they were never intended by their makers to be passed off as the real thing. Nonetheless, these pieces are a fact of life for the phaleristic collector interested in K.u.K items, therefore an appropriate explanation and study of these pieces is - this author feels - of some value.
Most of the jewellers who manufactured orders, decorations & medals for the K.u.K monarchy engaged in the production of replica insignia for collectors after 1918. However, the most famous and most often seen pieces are the ones made by probably the most important jeweller to work for the monarchy; C. F. Rothe & Neffe. Due to the huge scope of this area, this article will focus solely on the insignia made by Rothe, specifically their examples of the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Stephen of Hungary.
Logo of C. F. Rothe & Neffe.
Short History of C. F. Rothe & Neffe
The company that eventually became C. F. Rothe & Neffe was founded in 1830. Christian Friedrich Rothe, originally from Altenburg in Saxony, moved to Vienna at the age of 17 and joined a goldsmith’s workshop in 1834. Ten years later in 1844 he took over the business and must have run it successfully, as in 1849 he moved the business’s premises to the Hollauerhaus on the prestigious Kohlmarkt, just down the street from the Hofburg palace. Rothe would remain at Kohlmarkt 7 for the rest of its existence. Around 1850, his nephew Anton Otto Gerbitz joined the company, at which point the business became C. F. Rothe & Neffe (C. F. Rothe & Nephew). In 1855, Rothe was appointed as court goldsmith by Emperor Franz Joseph I, with one of their most notable early works for the monarchy being the diamond crown which Empress Elisabeth wore to her Coronation as Queen of Hungary on 8 June 1867. In the same year, his second nephew; Heinrich Emil Rothe joined and together the two nephews began the company's involvement in the area of medal production. The next year in 1868, the Emperor granted Rothe the additional privilege of court jeweller to the K.u.K orders chancellery.
Christian Friedrich Rothe
Kohlmarkt 7. Rothe’s business premises c.2000
Until the end of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy Rothe remained the most important (though not exclusive) jeweller appointed to the imperial and royal court. Christian Friedrich died in 1892 and ownership of the company passed to his nephew Anton Otto, until his death in 1908. Christian Friedrich’s other nephew; Heinrich Emil then took control of the company until his sudden death in 1938, after which his son; Emil Adalbert took over. The key person in this story about Rothe’s post-1918 pieces is therefore Heinrich Emil Rothe, the head of the company during the collapse of the K.u.K monarchy. The company clearly carried on making insignia of the now former K.u.K orders, most likely immediately as wearers copies but then later as collectors and museum pieces. The interwar period for Rothe-made K.u.K insignia is characterised by two important orders; The Order of the Golden Fleece and the Order of St. Stephen. The fleece (continuing to this day as a dynastic order) was manufactured for the House of Habsburg-Lorraine for new knights. Hallmarked examples exist by Rothe (but also by jewellers such as Vincent Mayer’s Söhne) that show they were producing pieces for the House in this period. The other order is the Order of St. Stephen of Hungary, which was resurrected and awarded by Regent of Hungary; Admiral Miklós Horthy between 1938-1944. The few sets awarded were almost certainly manufactured by Rothe, the company having all the relevant tools and dies to produce sets, as well as still being engaged in the production of phaleristic insignia. Sets of the Hungarian Order of Merit from this period made by Rothe suggest that the company was indeed in the service of the Hungarian state at this time.
Regent of Hungary, Admiral Miklós Horthy (1868-1957) wearing the Grand Cross star of the Order of St. Stephen.
During the Second World War, all production ground to a halt, however the Hollauerhaus was spared from the destruction of war. Because of this, the production of medals was able to resume as early as 1945. The period onwards is the most common period to find post-1918 Rothe-made insignia, the company clearly making quite good business out of producing collectors pieces of K.u.K orders especially. Evidence from this period shows they produced insignia specifically for collectors in the postwar boom, with examples of almost all K.u.K orders and decorations known. Concerning the area of collectors pieces, it should be noted that Rothe did not just engage in the manufacture of K.u.K collectors items, but plenty of other former and current states too. Examples of the Imperial Russian and German orders, including the Prussian Order of the Black Eagle and even Scottish Order of the Thistle exist.
Post-1945 collectors copies by Rothe of various European orders including the Russian Order of St. Andrew, Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, Order of St. George, as well as the Prussian Order of the Black Eagle and Scottish Order of the Thistle.
Apart from collectors and museum replicas, Rothe also made sets of orders & decorations for former ruling houses to be awarded, such as the House of Habsburg-Lorraine and Bourbon-Two Scillies. During the interwar period and earlier they also made sets of orders & medals for national governments including the the First Austrian Republic, Kingdom of Bulgaria, Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Kingdom and Republic of Greece, and even for the Holy See and Order of Malta. Plenty of examples of Rothe-made Vatican and Malta orders and medals known.
Rothe-made breast stars of various nations orders. From left to right; The Order of Merit made for the First Austrian Republic, the Order of Saints Cyril & Methodius and the Order of St. Alexander made for the Kingdom of Bulgaria, the Order of Takovo made for the Kingdom of Serbia, the Order of St. Gregory the Great and Order of St. Sylvester made for the Holy See.
This business continued for many years until production of this type of work was ceased in 1991. The reason given was the inability to find suitable and talented craftsmen for such intricate and time consuming work. In 1999, Susanna and Elisabeth Rothe, both trained goldsmiths, became the 5th generation managing directors of the company, and concentrated on production of pearl and gold jewellery as well as traditional costume and hunting jewellery. The company closed in January 2005 after more than 150 years, with the punches and tools entrusted to museums. Thus, the story of one of the finest jewellers and phaleristic manufacturers ended.
Pre-1918 Rothe Order of St. Stephen Insignia
Rothe began making Order of St. Stephen insignia for the monarchy as soon as they were appointed court jeweller, and perhaps even earlier for private clients. Identifying their early insignia is most evident on the breast star of Grand Cross sets. The centre on all sets of the order shows a patriarchal white cross standing on a Vert (green) trimount, representing the mountain ranges Tátra, Mátra, and Fátra. This symbolism is clear on Hungarian heraldry, however early Rothe made sets of the Order of St. Stephen show a more uniform single hill of green on the breast star. This is one of the easiest ways to recognise a Rothe-made Order of St. Stephen breast star as pre-1918 as this style was produced in the late 19th century. Sash badges from this era are also easily spotted due to them always being solid gold and having a single element construction of the badge’s centre. It should be noted, that unlike the on the star, the badges depicted the correct three hills, evident on Hungarian heraldry.
Grand Cross breast star c.1880 of superb jewellers quality and materials. Note the single hill under the cross. Image courtesy of eMedals.
Incredibly rare sets give evidence of a transitional model between the early and late Rothe sets. c.1892, perhaps at the request of the monarchy, the trimount on the stars were given definition to show three distinct hills, however these sets differ from the later models of the order. The general outline of the trimount is still more of a single shape, rather than three elements, only using gold to separate the shape into three parts.
Grand Cross set by Rothe hallmarked between 1872-1922 awarded in 1892 to the Crown Prince of Hanover Ernst August, Duke of Cumberland. Note the almost unique execution of the trimount on the star. The badge is a typical pre-1918 Rothe manufacture from the late 19th and early 20th century. Image courtesy of Dorotheum.
Typical pre-1918 Grand Cross breast star from the early 20th century by Rothe, showcasing the much improved accuracy of the Hungarian trimount. This particular piece c.1910 and belonged to Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria. Image courtesy of eMedals.
Interwar & WWII Period Order of St. Stephen Rothe Insignia (1918-1945)
After the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, Hungary and Austria could not make a legal agreement on the rights of the order. The base of the argument was whether Maria Theresa founded the Order de jure as the sovereign of Hungary, or the sovereign of Austria. In 1938, when Austria as a de jure successor state of Austria-Hungary ceased to exist by becoming part of Nazi Germany in the Anschluss, Horthy issued an addendum to be attached on 4th November 1938 to the statutes of the order which declared that as long as the Regent was the head of the Kingdom of Hungary, he also held the powers and duties of the Grand Master. The Order of St. Stephen was, from that point on, technically resurrected and could be awarded once more. The short time period however, resulted in only five Grand Crosses being awarded:
Count Pál Teleki de Szék (1879–1941) - Prime Minister of Hungary (invested 21st September 1940)
Hermann Göring (1893-1946) - Reichsmarschall of Nazi Germany (likely invested after the Second Vienna Award of 30th August 1940)
Joachim von Ribbentrop (1893-1946) - Reich Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nazi Germany (likely invested after the Second Vienna Award of 30th August 1940)
Count Galeazzo Ciano (1903-1944) - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Fascist Italy (likely invested after the Second Vienna Award of 30th August 1940)
Cardinal Jusztinián György Serédi (1884–1945) - Prince-Primate of Hungary (invested 26th February 1944)
Very little photographic evidence exists of the insignia of this time, however it is likely that sets used were either old Rothe sets from the late period of the K.u.K monarchy, kept in storage, or sets made to exactly the same specifications of the last K.u.K sets. The Grand Cross star of Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring is on display at the RAF Museum, London and shows evidence of being identical to the later stars of the K.u.K monarchy. Further study of this is needed, which I hope to carry out in the future. The insignia of Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop was sold to an unknown collector after the immense collection of his orders & decorations was dispersed in the 1960s. An interesting side note is that many of von Ribbentrop’s decorations were originally intended for Adolf Hitler, however the Führer’s refusal to accept any foreign decoration meant they were often given to Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop instead. It is not known if the Order of St. Stephen given to von Ribbentrop was originally intended for Hitler.
Collection of von Ribbentrop’s orders and decorations photographed after the war, his Order of St. Stephen enlarged.
The Grand Cross breast star of Hermann Göring, displayed incorrectly with a badge of the Order of Merit of the Kingdom of Hungary, at the RAF museum in London. Image courtesy of Noel Kearney.
Early post-1945 Order of St. Stephen Rothe Insignia (1945-1960)
After the Second World War, Rothe began the manufacture of orders & decorations again, including the Order of St. Stephen. This time - with very few exceptions - insignia was either made for former ruling dynasties or collectors. Evidence exists that show they were making K.u.K insignia for collectors as early as May 1950, and almost definitely the collectors copies of other countries orders & decorations date from this period. The business they were getting from national governments seems to have dried up by this time, with the insignia of the Second Austrian Republic being made by Anton Reiterer, the Bulgarian and Yugoslav monarchies no longer existing and the Greeks seemingly using Arthus Bertrand of Paris and other Greek jewellers. The only exception from this period seems to have been the Vatican.
Original invoice from Rothe to a collector, dated 19th May 1950 for a collectors copy of the Order of the Golden Fleece and complete set of the Grand Cross (incorrect name) of the Order of the Iron Crown, showing prices paid (Austrian Schillings) and conversion to U.S. Dollars. This suggests the request was from an American buyer and shows Rothe were involved in the manufacture of collectors copies as early as 1950.
The Order of St. Stephen insignia from this early period matches very closely to those sets made from the last years of the K.u.K monarchy, the reasoning being that likely the same punches, dies and tools were being used. The most obvious and immediate change was that the insignia was no longer made in gold. This is the clearest way to spot a post-1945 collector copy, as to lessen the expense of the pieces, silver-gilt was used for the badges and the gold areas of stars. Post-1945 badges from this era however still contain single-piece centres, and therefore the same construction as earlier models. The main difference is materials. As mentioned before, silver, not gold, but also enamel being of inferior quality to the pre-1918 days. This is most evident on the areas of green enamel, equally in the centre of badges and on every part of the star. The huge fields of green-enamel that make up the cross arms tend to be of better quality, due to their prominent nature. The green is not as rich as pre-1918 pieces, but better than later examples, with sets also having varying degrees of enamel transparency.
Grand Cross badges from the early period of Rothe’s post-1945 manufacturing. The general construction of these pieces are almost identical to those of the pre-1918 days, however the materials are much cheaper. Enamel, though still pretty good, is not of the same quality as the pre-1918 days and the most obvious downgrade is the use of gilded silver instead of solid gold. Images courtesy of Dorotheum and Morton & Eden.
In terms of the star, the general construction is the same as the pre-1918 pieces, however a number of differences are visible. Firstly, the two diamond-cut rings that surround the ring of oak leaves are usually of a gold gilt silver, something not present in pre-1918 stars. To carry on from before, the green enamel especially is of inferior quality and application, while the parts of the stars construction that were previously solid gold before 1918 are of course now silver-gilt.
Grand Cross star, likely between 1922-1960 showing Rothe’s early post-1918 fabrications. The basic construction being the same as pre-1918 but the use of materials is (especially enamel) poorer.
Late post-1945 Order of St. Stephen Rothe Insignia (1960-1991)
The last period of Rothe’s orders & decorations manufacturing is characterised by a dramatic drop in quality. In terms of the badges of the Order of St. Stephen, it is also marked by an apparent change in constriction method. The centre of the badge was now, no longer produced in a single section like pre-1918 pieces and early post-1945 ones. Now, the outer white ring (where the order’s motto is displayed) and the red inner disc bearing the white double-cross on the green trimount, were made in two separate sections. The reasoning for this is completely unclear. One reason could be to further distinguish pieces from K.u.K era insignia, as the problem of dealers and collectors passing off newly made Rothe pieces as originals might have now been becoming a problem. The other could simply be because of the loss or destruction or degradation of original tooling and punches used before. Whatever the reason, these pieces are easily distinguishable from earlier models, not least because of this different construction of the centre, but also the trimount under the white double-cross. In an almost fitting book-end to the Rothe Order of St. Stephen story, the trimount was now once again depicted as a single green peak instead of the three distinct hills. This time however, the incorrect depiction is found on the badges and not on the star. The other obvious change is that the small crown between the trimount and the white double-cross was now no longer present on badges. Insignia from this period also features the poorest green enamel of any Rothe-made pieces, which is sadly found on both the badge and star. This ‘minty green’ enamel rather than deep, rich green is actually a problem that plagues almost all examples of green enamel work on insignia throughout the world, to this day and to varying degrees.
Post-1960 Grand Cross badge showing the new dual-component construction of the centre as well as the omission of the tiny crown between the white double-cross and trimount. Enamel also shows almost no transparency and is completely opaque.
The stars from this period are the same basic structure as all previous Rothe-made Order of St. Stephen stars from practically 1900 onwards. As before though, silver is used where gold used to be on pre-1918 models, and the green enamel is incredibly poor. Green enamel on these last sets vary in opacity quite a fair amount as well, with some being completely opaque on the arms of the badge’s cross, while others appear very transparent. The very last sets were likely made in the late 1980s, shortly before Rothe stopped the production of order insignia completely.
Selection of post-1960 Grand Cross stars showing the same basic construction as pre-1918 stars. Differences include the use of silver-gilt where solid gold was once used, the diamond-cut rings around the oak wreath being gilt in gold and the use of very poor enamel, especially the green.
Final Thoughts
The existence of these later Rothe pieces is an area that deserves more study and attention. Not least because it is a fascinating part of K.u.K phaleristic history, but also because any serious collector will encounter plenty of these pieces while building a collection. Collectors interested in acquiring only K.u.K era items only need to be informed enough to be able to identify these pieces. I would like to add, these pieces provide a value to collectors not able to afford the steep, and frankly insane prices that pre-1918 insignia demand. After a few years of collecting I have handled both pre and post-1918 K.u.K insignia as well as Rothe-made collectors pieces of varying quality. Quite a few fellow collectors have made it clear they can only afford these post-1918 sets and intend to purchase them. In my opinion, the very fact that they exist shows that there was a fascination and demand for the beauty that is the phaleristic legacy of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, even very soon after its demise. This popularity continues today and thus, more research into these pieces would be of great value to the phaleristic community.
