Description:

(GRAND DUKE SERGE ALEXANDROVICH OF RUSSIA) GOLD POCKET WATCH
GRAND DUKE SERGE ALEXANDROVICH (1857-1905) Grand Duke of Russia, son of Emperor Alexander II of Russia and Governor-General of Moscow from 1891-1905. The Grand Duke was an influential figure during the reigns of his brother Emperor Alexander III of Russia and his nephew Emperor Nicholas II who was the last reigning Emperor of Russia. Like all male members of the Romanov dynasty, he followed a military career, and he fought in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78, receiving the Order of St. George for courage and bravery in action. In 1889, Grand Duke Sergei was promoted to the rank of major general. In 1884, Sergei married Princess Elizabeth of Hesse and by Rhine, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. As Governor-General of Moscow, he pursued very conservative policies that made him a polarizing figure. His reputation was initially tarnished as he was partially blamed for the Khodynka Tragedy during the festivities following the coronation of Emperor Nicholas II. At the start of his tenure, he also expelled Moscow's 20,000 Jews and repressed a student movement to prevent the spread of revolutionary ideas. Sergei resigned from the Governorship of Moscow on 1 January 1905, though he remained head of the Moscow Military District. Targeted by the SR Combat Organization he was assassinated later that year by a terrorist anarchist bomb at the Kremlin during the 1905 Russian Revolution. In 1908, the Monument to Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich was consecrated in the exact spot of his assassination at the Kremlin. After the Bolshevik Revolution, the monument was destroyed in 1918, but was restored in 1998 in the Novospassky Monastery, where Sergei's remains are buried. The second restored monument was consecrated in the Moscow Kremlin in 2017, where the original monument once stood. Vladimir Putin made a speech at the unveiling of the reconsecrated monument. Offered here is an exquisite 18kt yellow gold pocket watch featuring an Empire shaped case, with a hinged back and high polish finish. On the reverse is a royal crest in red and white enamel, believed to be that of the Grand Duke. At the top of the face is the maker mark for French L. Leroy & Cie of 7 Boulevard de la Madelaine, Paris. Complete with blued steel moon hands, glass crystal, and Arabic numbers in black enamel. Accompanied by a 17 in. long 18kt yellow gold chain, fitted with a sliding ‘T' bar, (2) oversized spring rings, and an Albert swivel clasp. Each link bears the traditional mark of a crown indicating that the item is indeed gold, also bearing a numerical purity mark of ‘18', further maker marked ‘W G'. Displays light surface scratching and minor enamel loss to the first white ‘C' on the reverse. A sensational showpiece presented in a vintage Hammer Galleries jewelry box. WITH: a copy of a provenance letter from a previous owner, explaining how the ring had been passed down. In part: ‘...belonged to the late Grand Duke Serge of Russia, third son of the Emperor Alexander, 2nd, the Liberator, brother of the Emperor Alexander, 3rd, and uncle and brother-in-law of Emperor Nicholas, 2nd. In 1891 the Grand Duke Serge [sic] was married to the grand-daughter of Queen Victoria of England...Grand Duke of Serge [sic] was appointed as Governor General of Moscow and was killed by anarchists...After his death the Grand Duchess...[Elisabeth Fedorovna, sister of the late last Empress Alexandra Fedorovna] gave the...watch to General Gadon...'.Vladimir Gadon served as an adjunct to Grand Duke Sergei. An exceptional relic from the victim of one of Europe's most notable assassinations.

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August 16, 2024 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $999,999 $10,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $50,000
$2,000,000 + $100,000