| Added by |
 Alain Martineau
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| General 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. This example is from the Fifth (current) Republic period, since 1962. It is divided into five degrees: Chevalier (Knight), Officier (Officer), Commandeur (Commander), Grand Officier (Grand Officer) and Grand Croix (Grand Cross). The order's motto is Honneur et Patrie ("Honour and Fatherland"), and its seat is the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur on the left bank of the River Seine in Paris. Established: 19 May 1802 - First awarded : 14 July 1804 Technically, membership in the Légion is restricted to French nationals. Foreign nationals who have served France or the ideals it upholds may, however, receive a distinction of the Légion, which is nearly the same thing as membership in the Légion. Foreign nationals who live in France are submitted to the same requirements as Frenchmen. Foreign nationals who live abroad may be awarded a distinction of any rank or dignity in the Légion. |
| Front Description : | Five-pointed silver and white enamel Maltese cross with green and red enamel oak and laurel wreath between the arms, on green and red enamel oval oak and laurel wreath swivel suspension; the face with central circular silver-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’ |
| Material | -I do not know- |
| Catalog prices | No catalog prices set yet |
