France Legion of Honour, Officer's Badge

[Robin Lumsden]

Picked this up after a recent trip to Paris.

As awarded to British Colonels in The Crimean War.

18 Kt gold.

[Veteran]

A very nice badge. Congratulations.

Would you know how many Brtiish colonels were awarded the order ? I rather doubt they would all have recevied it.

[paul wood]

55 officer's badges were awarded for the Crimea to both Colonels and Lieutenant Colonels and additionally 16 to Naval recipients

Paul

[Robin Lumsden]

Thanks Paul.

I counted 73 in total from the lists, but may have been two out !!

[Robin Lumsden]

The list of British recipients is available in book form, but is also on Wikipedia under 'Legion of Honour to British Recipients in The Crimean War'.

All grades are listed.

I tried to post a link, but the system won't let me !!

[Veteran]

Thank you both for this information. It seem that most officers in those ranks received the Legion of honor.

I believe a number of French officiers received the Order of the Bath, but badges don't turn up often ....

Best regards

Veteran

[Robin Lumsden]

Another British Legion of Honour group from The Crimean War ........................ with a VC.

To J.S.Knox of The Scots Fusilier Guards.

Not mine, unfortunately !!

[paul wood]

Robin, I suspect I may have missed a couple but I think we have a good idea. Have never seen an honorary Bath in a French group. Now that would be something.

Paul

[Veteran]

Hello Paul

I unfortunatally don't have an "Almanach Imperiel" for the years 1856 and later which would have listed at least French C.B.s and higher ranks. But I have found 2 GCB (Marechal CANROBERT & Marechal MAC-MAHON) and 10 KCB in the Almanach National 1875, who were vétérans of the Crimean war. CBs were not listed.

Therefore a number of French honorary CBs must have existed. But as we are both agreed, they probably were not many.

All the best

Paul

[Robin Lumsden]

Just added one of these to the collection ..................................... very common 3rd Republic type, but mine is in hallmarked silver (boar's head of Paris Assay Office).

Edited May 12, 2014 by Robin Lumsden

[Veteran]

Hello Robin

An other nice piece. It certainly is silver if the boar's head hallmark is present.

If you don't mind me saying so, this hallmark has been used throughout the country for silver. Strangely the Paris Mint uses an entirely different type of silver hallmark which has changed with from time to time since 1832.

In fact, the Paris Mint refrained from manufacturing badges of the Legion of honor for a very long time Their job really was to strike coins and medals (awards and table medals), the more rafined badges with enamels being considered rather to be the job of legitimate jewellers.

This is why the boar's head hallmark is the right one for a Chevalier of the Legion of honor's badge.

You seem to be building up quite a collection of Legion of honor badges. Congratulations

[Robin Lumsden]

Thanks for that information about the Paris Mint, Paul.

Much appreciated.

The gold one that started this thread has an eagle's head hallmark. VERY TINY !!!!!!

This is the only other Legion of Honour I have .................. a paper one !!

[Yankee]

Hello

My small contribution to a most informative thread. A case to an officer from the time period of the 2nd Empire. Perhaps this held the Legion of Honour from the Crimea period. The inside lid has the jeweler name Lemoine. Possible from the Franco-Prussian War too.

Who can tell.http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_05_2014/post-2110-0-74782300-1400118178.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_05_2014/post-2110-0-50161800-1400118232.jpg

[Robin Lumsden]

Nice!

[Veteran]

Yankee

That box is clearly a Napoleon III Legion of honor period. It could very well have housed a badge awarded for the Crimean Campaign (or the Italian, China, Mexican campaigns).

But it CERTAINLY COULD NOT HAVE BEEN AWARDED for the Franco-Prussian War 1870/71; this is because Napoleon III was deposed at the very start of the war, when he was personnally captured by the Germans after the defeat at Sedan. Legion of honor awards were only resumed after the design was changed to what would be the IIIrd Republic type, with the wreath of laurel and oak leaves instead of the imperial crown.

Keeping up with French goverment changes during the XIXth Century is quite chalenge, I fear.

[Yankee]

Hi Veteran

I appreciate you explaining the reason why the French had not continued to award the 2nd Empire type cross in the Franco-Prussian war. I had just assumed some had been awarded during the conflict and when the 3rd Republic was declared many of the soldiers had exchanged them for the new type.

The badge that came in the case . I think the sizes, quality & details of the 2nd Empire badges are identical among the makers so must be difficult for which conflict it had been given during Napoleon's reign. Many thanks

Sincerely Yankee

[paul wood]

Yankee, what a fantastic case, I have never come across one of these before, Ouizille and Lemoine were the official jewellers to the Chancellery of the LdH during the Second Empire

Paul

[Yankee]

Yankee, what a fantastic case, I have never come across one of these before, Ouizille and Lemoine were the official jewellers to the Chancellery of the LdH during the Second Empire

Paul

Hi Paul

Was surprised to find one cased. I recall a collector telling me how the French were very proud of their LOH & would wear every day, not needing to store it away for any length of time and perhaps simply discarded the case or misplaced.

Interesting to note how the stencil design illustrates that thick bulbous rosette that was a product ( fashion ) of the 2nd Empire.

Sincerely

Brian