Watch List notes:

Peru, gold star decoration with diamonds and wreath hanger, (1853), National Gratitude to the Codifiers of Peru, rare, Salbach Plate. 48mm, 30.60 grams. Raised circular center with book of laws (enameled white) inside ring of fourteen diamonds inside another ring with wording GRATITUD A LOS CODIFICADORES DEL PERU (also enameled white) within sunburst of ten five-point rays with ten diamonds in between, all below a wreath hanger with raised flower in lighter gold in center, the back plain but engraved with elegant initials MTU, whose name we do not know but who was undoubtedly one of the congressmen being honored in 1853 (see pages 44-45 of Coleccion de Leyes, Decretos y Ordenes Publicadas en El Peru, Vol. 4 [1861], by Juan Oviedo). This is a very impressive decoration, the diamonds apparently good quality and the gold a relatively high fineness (at least 18K), no doubt very expensive to produce in its time and a true jewel of Peruvian political history, also with desirable pedigree. Pedigreed to the Oscar Salbach collection (J. Schulman auction of 1911-12), plated in the catalog.

Estimate: $5000-10000