France - Third Republic (1871-1946): Order of the Legion d'Honneur, Grand Officer 2nd Class breast star, silver, complete with central vertical hinged needle pin and double retaining prong fittings, central makers plate with embossed makers details for: ‘Ouzille Lemoine / Lemoine Fils Succour / Joailleur de la Legion / D”Honneur / Rue St. Honore 356 / Paris’. and of circa First World War manufacture, and certainly of pre-1919 manufacture owing to jewellers details.
Condition: slight bruise to central cabochon, overall Good Very Fine.
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (French: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (Ordre impérial de la Légion d'honneur), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil, and currently comprises five classes. Established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, it has been retained (with occasional slight alterations) by all later French governments and regimes.
The order's motto is Honneur et Patrie ("Honour and Fatherland"); its seat is the Palais de la Legion d’Honneur next to the Musee d’Orsay, on the left bank of the Seine in Paris. The order is divided into five degrees of increasing distinction: Chevalier (Knight), Officier (Officer), Commandeur (Commander), Grand officier (Grand Officer) and Grand-croix (Grand Cross).
On the formation of the 3rd Republic owing to Napoleon III having relinquished the Imperial Crown, the crown was removed from the insignia and the date 1870 added, the date remained in place until 1946.
