2 early Legion D'honneur medals (Help?)

[Ken M]

Good evening Gentlemen;

I have two early Legion of honor medals which are stumping me. I have been checking various on-line sources but get conflicting information. I am simply trying to identify the period of each.

As near as I can figure; #1 is from the first empire and seems to be a late type that had the small spheres attached to the ends of the cross's arms. Known as the type 4 (??)

Also according to what I have found,  #2 appears to be from the second empire.

Can anybody confirm or deny this information? Is there any way to determine who may have made either of these?

Many thanks in advance, Ken N

[Hendrik]

Hello Ken,

The absence of a little cross on top of the suspension ball seems to make this a "July Monarchy" type with altered central medallions ...

Your No. 2 is a 2nd Empire type as you rightly observed.

Regards,

Hendrik

[Daffy Duck]

I can confirm for the second that it was issued during Napoleon III.

[Daffy Duck]

First Legion of Honor could be as well from the period of Napoleon III, but from the earliest time, when he was a president of the Republic (1851-1852)

[Hendrik]

Hi,

I beg  to differ : to my knowledge, the various types that saw the light of day in that short period had either no crown suspension or, again, a little cross on top of the suspension ball. The motto in the central medallion referred to Napoleon as 1st Consul on those crosses.

Regards,

Hendrik

[Daffy Duck]

Someone could easily remove cross on the top of the crown.  The biggest problem for early dating is missing three stars at the bottom of reverse medallion (under the eagle). I would say that  present appearance is more common for the reign of Napoleon III.

This is the closest LH I have in mind:

http://www.lacollectionphaleristique.com/presidence-chevalier-v6