Gold Double Eagle Crested Item

[BrentB]

Not sure if this is the best place to post this request, if there is another, let me know and I can move it.

Trying to identify this item. Its 8" long and has two metal pieces that screw into the bottom, they are each 4.25" long.

The crest on the front looks a lot like the Imperial Coat of Arms of the Empire of Austria, used from 1815 to 1866, but it has a couple differences (the items that the eagle is holding in its claws).

Curious as to what the crest is and also what the item is or was used for. Any help would be great.

[otter76]

May be austrohungarian. F.J .... Franz Joseph

[BrentB]

May be austrohungarian. F.J .... Franz Joseph

I talked to someone who described it as a “Hofwürdezeichen” from a member of the imperial Austrian court. Given to “Truchsesse” (member of the outer court). Trying to find out more.

[Brian L.]

It reminds me of a court chamberlain's key. Although not a key, maybe it's somehow related to that as some kind of symbol of court rank.

[Gerdan]

May be this can help:

https://www.ebay.at/itm/Kaiserlich-o...-/123846784006

Gerdan

[djn]

Yes it is Austria Chamberlain's key of Emperor Franz Joseph I

[J. Csernus]

As some here wrote, it's a "Hofwürdigkeitsabzeichen", but it's a bit older, F.I stands for Ferdinand the first, not Franz Josef, it would be FJI or FJ. Some collectors are saying that the monogram FI without the dot means Ferdinand the first (1835-1848), and F.I with the dot between the two letters bleonged to his father Franz the first (1804-1835) but I haven't seen any provenance for this. Anyway it's from the first half of the 19th century