France – Order of the Legion of Honor (Grand Cross)

Description

The Ordre Royal, Imperial et National de la Legion d’Honneur was established by Napoleon Bonaparte on 19 May 1802 to be awarded for outstanding civil or military service to France. It has survived Empire, restoration of the Monarchy and five Republics. There have been at least a dozen major changes to the insignia and, indeed, the political history of the past 200 years of France may be traced on them. Since the suppression of the Ordre Militaire de Saint-Louis in 1830, the Ordre de la Legion d’Honneur has been France’s premier order.  

Five-pointed badge in gold with green enamel oak and laurel wreath between the arms, on green enamel oval oak and laurel wreath swivel suspension. The face with central circular gilt medallion bearing a female head facing right crowned with corn and laurel, representative of the French Republic, encircled by a deep blue enamel ring bearing the inscription in gilt letters “REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE”, a five-pointed gilt star at the base. The reverse with a central circular gilt medallion bearing the civil and military French tricolours in blue, white and red enamel, encircled by a deep blue enamel ring inscribed in gilt letters “HONNEUR ET PATRIE” (Honour and Country), gilt arabesques below; on original sash with bow.

Accompanied by a highly-detailed star of the order in silver, a faceted double-ended five-pointed star with ball finials, featuring clusters of five rounded rays in each quadrant, obverse center superposed by a right facing Marianne, circumscribing by silver lettering REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE 1870 HONNEUR ET PATRIE (French Republic 1870 Honor and Fatherland), reverse with vertical pin assembly flanked by two stays. This set is from the third Republic 1870-1951.