1804 France - Napoleon - The Inaguration of the Legion of Honor by Jean-Bertrand Andrieu, Dominique-Vivant Denon and Louis Jaley

Obverse Description

Laureate head of Napoleon facing right; below in small letters, ANDRIEU. F.

Reverse Description

The decoration of the Legion of Honour featuring the cross of the order, in the centre of which the eagle of France stands on the fulmen of Jove, encircled with a flat ring, on which the motto, HONNEUR.ET.PATRIE; around, AUSPICE . NEAPOLEONE GALLIA . RENOVATA; below in small leters; DENON DIR / JALEY F.

Edge Description

Plain

Significance

"Napoleon having been elected First Consul for life, immediately marked this great event by instituting the order of the Legion of Honour, which, by joining personal decoration with pecuniary stipend, answered two purposes, that of reconciling the people of France to the restoration of artificial rank in society, and also of securing to Napoleon himself the personal attachment of all those connected with the institution ... It was also decreed that the legion should be composed of fifteen cohorts, and a council of administration; that each cohort should consist of seven grand officers, twenty commandants, thirty officers, and 350 legionaries; and that the First Consul should always be the chief of the legion, and of the council of administration. The members were to be military men, who had distinguished themselves in the war, or citizens, who, by their knowledge, talents, and virtues, had contributed to establish or defend the republic." Laskey p.66-67