France: Order of Agricultural Merit, Knight Grade, silver, silver-gilt and enamels.
Condition: the gilding on the wreath no longer present, some tarnishing and slight loss to enamel on tips of the arms, as well as in places to the blue central enamel surrounding the centre, overall Very Fine.
The Order was created on 7 July 1883 to reward exception service to agriculture and its development. It is notable that this Order was one of just four specialised orders (along with the Academic Palms, Order of Maritime Merit and Order of Arts and Letters) that were not replaced by the National Order of Merit in 1963, testifying both to its long history and to the unique place of agriculture in the history, economy and culture of France.