History

This Order is conferred upon military personnel and civilians for outstanding civil or military service to the Republic, as well as meritorious service within scientific, political, humanitarian, and artistic endeavours. The order is presented in five grades: Grand Cross, Grand Officer, Commander, Officer and Knight.

The inscription on the reverse of Type I reads "merito militare" or "merito civile" whereas Type II inscriptions on the reverse read "merito civile e militare".

There are many variations of this Order; some feature a crown.

There is limited information regarding this item.