During the First World War, only eight St. George swords with diamomds were awarded. Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich the Younger was awarded his on 4 April 1915 as Supreme Commander of the Russian Armed Forces.
The others were awarded to General P. A. Lechitski (27 September 1914), Lieutenant-General V. A. Irmanov (4 November 1914), Lieutenant-General S. B. S. B. Mekhmandarov (14 February 1915), General-Lieutenant S. F. Dobrotin (20 february 1915), Major-General A. I. Denikin (10 November 1915), General P. P. Kalitin (19 May 1916) and General A. A. Brussilov (20 July 1916).
As mentioned and specified in the Statute of the Order of St. George (paragraph 127, see opposite page), the present sword is one of the St. George swords with diamonds that the Grand Duke wore in the field in his various military capacities; the one presented by the Emperor and valued by the Imperial Cabinet at 10415 rubles was exclusively worn for important official events.
Nonetheless, a sword of St. George with diamonds such as the present one, with such important and impeccable Imperial provenance, has never before appeared at auction and can be easily considered unique.