One of the grades of the Saxon Order of Albert was the 5th grade, the so called Small Cross. It was renamed in Honor Cross in 1858. With awarding the last cross on November 27, 1875, only a total of 362 Honor Crosses had been issued to loyal citizens.

As known to many collectors, the Order of Albert was awarded for over 23 years with its initial design. This design featured in the medallion the bust of Herzog Johann den Beständigen instead of the founder of the of the house of Wettin and the Albertinien family line, Herzog Albrecht der Beherzte (Albert). After discovering the mistake the so called "Bäckermütze" vanished quietly. This was concluded in a non publicized edict of the ministry of interior affairs on January 26, 1875.^[1] This act triggered the complete renewal of the orders statues. With the rewriting several changes were made. Among those the golden medal was changed into the Albert Cross (Albrechtskreuz) and the Smaller- or Honor Cross was changed into the knight cross 2nd class. All legal bearers of the order decorations were granted the right to exchange all 1st type decorations for the new "regulated and corrected" badges.

All of this is cause for the rarity of the 1st type decoration especially for the Smaller- or Honor Cross of the Order of Albert. I personally know only of 3 original pieces in collections.
 

^[1] "Die Orden des Königreiches Sachsen" 1997; D.Weber; Paul Arnold; P.Keil