Cross of Saint Romero I

Cross of Saint Romero I
Cross of Saint Romero I
	Second class of the cross.
Awarded by the Creeperian Armed Forces
Type	Military award/order of chivalry
Established	15 September 1950
Country	Creeperopolis
Royal house	House of Martínez
Religious affiliation	Creeperian Catholicism
Motto	San Romero, ruega por'nosotros
Eligibility	Soldiers and officers of the Creeperian Armed Forces
Criteria	Exceptionally distinguished service to protect the Creeperian Catholic Church and the Fatherland.
Status	Active
Founder	Romero II
Grand Master	Alexander II
Minister of Defense	Augusto Cabañeras Gutiérrez
Classes	First class; Second class
Post-nominals	CSR
Statistics
First induction	1950
Last induction	2020
Total inductees	100 (first class); 2,237 (second class); 2,337 (total)
Precedence
Next (higher)	None, highest
Next (lower)	Order of the Crusaders' Cross
	; Ribbon;

The Cross of Saint Romero I (Creeperian – Iberic: Cruz de San Romero; Creeperian – Creeperian: Ծրփզ դե Սան Րոմերո; abbreviated as CSR or ԾՍՐ) is the highest and most prestigious military decoration that may be awarded to soldiers, sailors, pilots, guards, and officers of the four branches of the Creeperian Armed Forces: the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Imperial Guard. The decoration is awarded for "exceptionally distinguished service to protect the Creeperian Catholic Church and the Fatherland," and in two grades (first and second class) has been awarded a total of 2,337 times; 2,237 times in second class and 100 times in first class.

History

The first military decoration ever inducted into the Creeperian Armed Forces was the Order of the Crusaders' Cross which was established on 15 September 1234 by King Alfonso I during the Creeperian Crusade against the Caliphate of Deltino. Since then, the Order of the Crusaders' Cross had always been the highest and most prestigious military decoration of Creeperopolis which came in two grades: first class and second class. The Creeperian Armed Forces and the Creeperian monarchy had never created a military decoration ranking above the Order of the Crusaders' Cross out of respect for tradition, but royal and imperial orders have been made that outrank it since, but as they are not strictly military decorations, the Order of the Crusaders' Cross remained the highest ranking.

On 2 January 1933, the Creeperian Civil War began and two rival claimants to the throne declared themselves Emperor: Romero I and Miguel VII. Romero I lead the Catholic Imperial Restoration Council while Miguel VII lead the National Council for Peace and Order. On 6 July 1946, Romero I was killed by a Miguelist attack. The civil war concluded on 30 September 1949. On 15 September 1950, Emperor Romero II established the Cross of Romero I to honor his father and predecessor, and in break of tradition, it was ranked higher than the Order of the Crusaders' Cross. When Romero I was elevated to the title of Saint by the Creeperian Catholic Church on 6 July 1987, the name of the decoration was changed to the Cross of Saint Romero I.

Grades

Grades of the Cross of Saint Romero I


First class	Second class

Appearance

The Cross of Saint Romero I consists of a four branched cross consisting of two points each, for a total of eight points. The branches are held together by a circular formation bearing the Cross of Creeperopolis in the center. The formation is surrounded by four swords, each bearing a Golden Eagle, the national bird of Creeperopolis, and each Golden Eagle is carrying a Cross of Creeperopolis. Every part of the decoration is composed of 24 karat gold which is outlined by bronze. On the first class order of the award, the handle of each sword is filled with a 1 carat diamond while the center piece is adorned with sixteen 3 carat diamonds, for a total of twenty diamonds. The ribbon of the cross consists of black, red, and gold bands, while the first class ribbon includes two crossed golden swords.

Neither the Creeperian government nor the Creeperian Armed Forces have made an official estimate to the monetary value of the Cross of Saint Romero for either the first or second class. According to independent researchers at the Antonio José Sáenz Heredia University, the price of the sixteen 3 carat diamonds alone would value around ₡6.4 million colóns or ₵800,000 credits. By including the four 1 carat diamonds, the 24 karat gold, and the bronze outlining, the total monetary value of the Cross of Saint Romero I first class is estimated to be around ₡6.636 million colóns or ₵829,500 credits, making it by far the most valuable and expensive decoration of the Creeperian Armed Forces, being even more valuable than many of the royal and imperial orders of Creeperopolis. The Cross of Saint Romero I second class is estimated to be worth around ₡44,000 colóns or ₵5,500 credits, far less than the Cross of Saint Romero I first class.