France A few new additions to my collection

[Garth Thompson]

I would just like to share a few new additions I have made to my collection. I have to say that collecting French and Colonial ODMs has refired my zest for collecting. Hope you enjoy these.

Garth

#1 Order of the Star of Anjouan, officer class

[Garth Thompson]

#2

Order of the Black Star, chevalier class

[Garth Thompson]

#3 Order of Nicham El Anquar, Chevalier

[Garth Thompson]

Order of the Dragon of Annam. This, to me, is one of the most attractive orders I've encountered.

[Garth Thompson]

Order of the Dragon close up.

[Garth Thompson]

The Dragon

[Garth Thompson]

First restoration Legion of Honor if I'm not mistaken

[Garth Thompson]

Legion of Honor reverse

[Garth Thompson]

Legion of Honor, Third Republic. Not particularly rare just a nice cased example.

[Garth Thompson]

Order of the Academic Palm, officer, cased. Reputed to have been awarded to an American professor in 1908 but without direct provenance.

[Garth Thompson]

Wounded Soldiers Medal with stars for 4 wounds.

Hope you enjoyed seeing the medals,

Garth

[nesredep]

Hello!

Very nice addition.Never seen this before.

All the best

Nesredep

[Roeland]

hello gents,

beautiful collection Garth!

I love it, and I totally agree with your opinion on the ordre du Dragon d'Annam.

Perhaps you like this image:

kind regards,

Roeland

[Paul R]

Magnificent medals Garth! I love the enamel work on the Chinese and French medals.

[Bison]

First restoration Legion of Honor if I'm not mistaken

Hello Garth

Congratulations and thanks for sharing.

This L?gion d'honneur is a 'Second Restoration' because of the centers... but the star was made during the First Empire, probably a "3rd Type".

Therefore this is a so called 'hybrid' type, modified along the political changes. This is a VERY nice one, because it is made with one of the original 1st Empire one.

In the First restoration model, the head of King Henri IV is looking left and on the reverse there is a crown over the three fleurs de lys. This last one is very scarce, because the period of attribution was almost two years.

Excellent !

Regards

Bison

Edited March 11, 2009 by Bison

[Bison]

As an addition to my previous post, you can find some most relevant information here : http://www.klm-mra.be/klm-new/engels/colle...roix_frame.html in the Royal Army Museum of Brussels which has a fantastic collection about the L?gion d'honneur (almost comparable to the French L?gion d'honneur Museum of Paris).

And as a comparison, here is a 'pure' Second Restauration model from my collection :

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_03_2009/post-2068-1236792955.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_03_2009/post-2068-1236792971.jpg

Regards

[Bison]

Hi Garth

I am back about your L?gion d'honneur 1st Empire / 2nd restoration. A similar model is for sale here, for around 1,388 USD : http://www.liverpoolmedals.com/product.htm...mp;prdid=L14320

Even if I find this price a little exagerated, it confirms the identification and the high value of your medal.

Congratulations again

Bison

[Garth Thompson]

Bison,

Thank you for all the informative replys. I've looked over the LoH link to the Belgian museum and added it to my reference file. It is interesting to see how much Liverpool medals wants for their hybrid as I found mine on Ebay for $350 USD.

Another question, I recently aquired a 3rd Republic officer grade done in gold. It is quite different from the material of the two 3rd Republic Chavalier pieces I have but looks identical to the one pictured on the belgian museum site. My question is wehter gold is the standard for the officer grade medals or would a gold one be a custom made medal.

Thanks again for your replies,

Garth

[Bison]

Hello Garth

Happy to be helpful.

I would just add that hybrids from the 1st Empire are scarce... this explains that. On the other hand, they are hard to be identified with certainty, and from my perspective you got it for a good price.

For the officer grade from the 3rd Republic, it is usually found in silver, gold plated. But every jeweller proposed solid gold models. You can recognize them with a small head of eagle mark, generally stamped on the ribbon at 0600 hours. For silver, it is a small head of boar.

A solid gold officer of the LH (3rd Republic) is not scarce.

Since the end of WW1, the French State no more offered any medal, you (or your dear friends) has to provide (buy) it! Therefore, the choice is up to the recipient or to the comrades who are offering the medal.

This explains you could find many different types of quality, and consequently and unfortunately very poor ones. To be complete, the official mint provider, the Monnaie de Paris, is providing only silver/gold plated officers of the L?gion d'honneur.

As you see, nothing is simple when we watch carefully the L?gion d'honneur.

Yours

Bison

Edited March 13, 2009 by Bison

[noir 7]

Since the end of WW1, the French State no more offered any medal, you (or your dear friends) has to provide (buy) it!

I would add yes and no! In some case, and specially in military affairs, the State still offers the medal: for example

[noir 7]

Edited March 13, 2009 by noir 7

[noir 7]

Since the end of WW1, the French State no more offered any medal, you (or your dear friends) has to provide (buy) it!

I would add that it isn't totally right. In some case, and specially in military affairs, the State still offers the medals: for example, my bronze National Defense Medal and the Commemorative Medal were given. But I had ton paid other medals (silver and gold National Defense Medal, Nation's Gratitude Medal...).

I think that War Crosses, Valour Crosses, are offered and Military Medal and Legion of Honour too when they are given for an bravey action.

Yours

Noir 7

[Bison]

Yes, I was thinking about national and colonial orders mainly, I'd have better to say 'the majority' are not offered.

But even for bravery, you have to buy it sometimes... In my former regiment some soldiers were awarded of the valour cross by the Defense minister and the Army Chief of staff themselves: in this case the crosses were offered. For the others, who were decorated by delegation in the regiment, no one cross was given. We had to buy them by ourselves.

I think that only the M?daille d'honneur du travail (Labour Medal of Honor) is systematically given for free and named ..

[PKeating]

The state gave my wife her Ordre des Arts et Lettres. The quality is better than I expected.

PK

[Veteran]

The matter of buying or being given french awards is a fairly simple one, but it does take some explaination.

The french government or agencies with power to bestowe orders and decorations publish the names of persons who are entitled to them. According to the type of award, this is done in the "Journal Officiel de la R?publique fran?aise", the "Bulletin officiel des d?corations, m?dailles et r?compenses" or the various "Bulletins minist?riels".

Intitlement to wear a number of commemorative medals can also be decided at Unit level in some instances.

Ever since the establishment of the Legion of honor in 1802, the decision was taken to allow badges to be made by jewellers who had a good reputation.

The insignia are usually bought by the people who are intitled to wear them. Quite often friends or the Agency or military unit the awardee belongs to will arrange for the badges to be acquired and presented, Agency or unit who has deserved them. This is possible with the Foreigh Service who has sufficient finances to buy the insignia to be presented to Foreigners on behalf of the Republic. It also happens when Regiments or other Units decide to present their men (or women) with the badges they are entitled to. But this does not mean the French Government presented them. It also means the badges are the property of who ever received them. No return on the holder's death !

One exception : some Government Agencies have their "coins priv?s", which means that they are the only authorities intltled to bestowe awards they alone can have made to order. Such is the case of a number of "m?dailles d'honneur", mainly awarded by the Ministry of Defense :

Exemples are : M?daille de la Gendarmerie, M?daille d'honneur du Service de Sant? des Arm?es, M?dailles d'honneur des employ?s civils du minist?re de la D?fense (Terre, Mer, Air).

These can never be freely bought from private firms or from the Paris Mint.

Which means that all French awards are the property of those who earn and wear them.

Hope I have been clear. Greetings to all.

Veteran