For Zealous and Devoted Service of the Realm ( sv, För nit och redlighet i rikets tjänst) is a reward medal awarded to one who has been a

Swedish State Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

employee for 30 years and has shown "zealous and devoted service". As an alternative to the medal one can choose a wristwatch or a crystal bowl/art glass. Originally awarded by the

King in Council The King-in-Council or the Queen-in-Council, depending on the gender of the reigning monarch, is a constitutional term in a number of states. In a general sense, it would mean the monarch exercising executive authority, usually in the form of ap ...

, it is since 1976 awarded by the

Swedish Agency for Government Employers The Swedish Agency for Government Employers (SAGE) ( sv, Arbetsgivarverket) is a Swedish administrative authority organized under the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. The agency acts like an employers' organization, responsible for central a ...

History

A medal with the inscription "Honorary reward for Zealous and Devoted Service of the Realm" (''Hedersbelöning för nit och redlighet i rikets tienst'') was proposed in 1803 by the ''Generaltullarrendesocieteten'' as a reward for customs officials. It was approved by the

on 20 May the same year, but the first known awarding took place in 1830. Then as a silver medal of the 8th size. On 1 July 1947 it was decided that the medal would only be awarded in gold of the 6th size. Previously it had been in four different sizes, three of gold and one of silver. By the 1973 order reform, the

Riksdag The Riksdag (, ; also sv, riksdagen or ''Sveriges riksdag'' ) is the legislature and the supreme decision-making body of Sweden. Since 1971, the Riksdag has been a unicameral legislature with 349 members (), elected proportionally and se ...

decided that the medal would be the only award to be awarded for state service.

Appearance

The medal is made of 23

karat The fineness of a precious metal object (coin, bar, jewelry, etc.) represents the weight of ''fine metal'' therein, in proportion to the total weight which includes alloying base metals and any impurities. Alloy metals are added to increase hardn ...

gold, weighs 11 grams and has a diameter of 27.5 millimeters ("6th size" according to the Berch's Scale). It is crowned by a royal crown and carries the image of the ruling monarch. The medal is worn on the left side of the chest in a 28 millimeter broad, blue ribbon with yellow edges. The band is straight for men, and bow knot for ladies. The medal is in its present appearance on the

obverse Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ''o ...

provided with King

Carl XVI Gustaf Carl XVI Gustaf (Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus; born 30 April 1946) is King of Sweden. He ascended the throne on the death of his grandfather, Gustaf VI Adolf, on 15 September 1973. He is the youngest child and only son of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Du ...

's portrait in profile made by Ernst Nordin. The

reverse Reverse or reversing may refer to: Arts and media * ''Reverse'' (Eldritch album), 2001 * ''Reverse'' (2009 film), a Polish comedy-drama film * ''Reverse'' (2019 film), an Iranian crime-drama film * ''Reverse'' (Morandi album), 2005 * ''Reverse'' ...

has the text "For Zealous and Devoted Service of the Realm", along with the name of the recipient and an oak leaf wreath. Anyone who does not want a gold medal reward can choose from the following options: *Crystal bowl from

Kosta Boda Kosta may refer to: * Kosta, Estonia, a village in Vihula Parish, Lääne-Viru County, Estonia * Kosta, Greece a community in Greece * Kosta, Sweden, a village in Sweden * Coastal Andhra, region in India * Kosta Glasbruk, a glassworks in Sweden ...

glassworks, shaped, blown and engraved by hand. The decor is created by artist Lisa Bauer and the pattern reflects a

Småland Småland () is a historical province () in southern Sweden. Småland borders Blekinge, Scania, Halland, Västergötland, Östergötland and the island Öland in the Baltic Sea. The name Småland literally means ''Small Lands''. The Latinized fo ...

twinflower ''Linnaea'' is a plant genus in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae. Until 2013, the genus included a single species, ''Linnaea borealis''. In 2013, on the basis of molecular phylogenetic evidence, the genus was expanded to include species f ...

. The bowl is 190 mm high and about 205 to 150 mm in range. *Crystal bowl from

Orrefors Orrefors () is a locality situated in southern Sweden and part of Nybro Municipality, Kalmar County, with 719 inhabitants in 2010. The township belongs to Hälleberga parish and is primarily famous for its glassworks with the same name. Orrefors i ...

, labeled with the

coat of arms of Sweden The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Sweden ( sv, Sveriges riksvapen) has a greater and a lesser version. Regulated usage The usage of the coats of arms is regulated by Swedish Law, Actbr>1970:498 which states (in unofficial translation) that ...

and is signed in the bottom "Orrefors Gunnar Cyrén". The bowl is 135 mm high and has a diameter of 235 mm. *Art sculpture by

Ernst Billgren Ernst Billgren (born 18 November 1957) is a Swedish artist and writer. Billgren was born in Stockholm and that is where he is currently based. He attended the Valand School of Fine Arts where he graduated in 1987. His daughter Elsa Billgren ...

is one with nature and together with Kosta Boda's glass blowers he has created this vase exclusively for the award. The vase is 265 mm high, 130 mm in diameter and weighs 2.1 kg. *Art sculpture by Bertil Vallien in the form of a half-boat is made exclusively for the award. The sculpture is 310 mm high, 95 mm long, 90 mm deep and weighs 2.5 kg. *Wristwatch from

Tissot Tissot SA () is a Swiss watchmaker. The company was founded in Le Locle, Switzerland by Charles-Félicien Tissot and his son, Charles-Émile Tissot, in 1853. After several mergers and name changes, the group which Tissot SA belonged to was renam ...

Certina Certina S.A. is a Swiss Made, Swiss watch brand founded in Grenchen in 1888 by Adolf and Alfred Kurth, whereas unrelated Certina Holding AG is a German industrial conglomerate, founded by Hans Wehrmann. It is currently part of the Swatch Gr ...

. The watches are available for both ladies and gentlemen. The watches are made of 18 karat gold and have sapphire glass. The band is made of calf skin.

References

{{Swedish orders, decorations, and medals Orders, decorations, and medals of Sweden