France, Napoleonic Kingdom. Four Royal Awards To D’agon De La Contrie, Commander Of Phalsbourg 1816-1830.

An Order of St. Louis, Knight. (Ordre Royal et Militaire de Saint-Louis) Instituted 1693. In Gold, consisting of a white enamelled Maltese cross with ball finials and delicate fleur-de-lys in each quadrant, obverse centre presenting a full portrait of Saint Louis clothed in a robe on a red enamelled background, in a blue enamel surround, inscribed LUD. MAG. INST. 1693 ("Louis the Great instituted it in 1693") reverse centre in Gold, presenting a sword interlaced with a partially green enamelled laurel crown and a sash, in a blue enamel surround, inscribed BELLICAE VIRTUTIS PRAEMIUM ("reward of wartime valour"), measuring 36.80 mm (w) x 44.39 mm (h - inclusive of horizontally pierced ball suspension), weighing 16.9 grams (including ribbon), suspended by a striated ring and worn on the original period ribbon with bow, heavy enamel loss to both obverse and reverse medallion surround, enamel cracks and wear to obverse arms of cross, six o’clock arm demonstrates enamel chip and crack in gold, better than fine condition.

Germany, Bavaria. An Order of the Crown, Knight. (Verdienstorden der Bayrischen Krone Ritterkreuz). Instituted 1808. Type I. 1908-1918 Issue. Comprised of Gold, an eight-armed white enamelled Maltese cross with a green enamelled laurel wreath between the outer arms of the cross, between the inner arms and extending from the central medallion are small gold blocks demonstrating three smooth rays and four lightly hatched rays, the obverse with a center gold medallion depicting a rightward facing bust of King Max I. Joseph, surrounded by a ring of red enamels, inscribed MAX JOS BOHOARIAE REX (“Max(imilian) Jos(eph) König von Bayern”), the reverse with a center medallion of white and light blue checkered enamels depicting a detailed Bavarian crown, surrounded by a ring of red enamels, inscribed VIRTUS ET HONOS (“Virtue and Honour”), suspended from a crown suspension, with a horizontally pierced ball and loop, on a striated ring with its period original ribbon with bow; measuring 39.65 mm x 62.34 mm (inclusive of integral ball and surmounting cross), weighing 22.0 grams (including ribbon), marked with a French Gold guarantee (1809-1819) on the crown’s surmounting cross reverse, loss of enamel to wreath, enamel cracks and chips visible on both obverse and reverse arms of cross, specifically near the tips of the arms, enamel of central medallions in excellent state only portraying a small flake to the reverse checkered pattern, overall very fine condition

An Order of the Legion of Honour, Officer. (Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur). Instituted by Napoleon in 1802. Type III, Second Restoration. 1816-1830 Issue. In Gold, consisting of a five-armed white enamelled Maltese cross with a green enamelled laurel wreath between the arms of the cross, the obverse centre has been replaced with a First Empire medallion in silver, portraying a rightward facing bust of Napoleon in a blue enamel surround inscribed NAPOLEON EMP. DES FRANCAIS (“Napoleon Emperor of France”), reverse centerpiece has been replaced with a July Monarchy Period medallion displaying crossed French flags on a Gold background, in a blue enamel surround inscribed HONNEUR ET PATRIE (“Honor and Fatherland”), surmounted by a crown and striated ring and worn on its original period ribbon with bow, measures 41.57mm (w) x 64.80 (h – inclusive of crown suspension and surmounting fleur-de-lys), weighing 18.7grams (including ribbon), Paris Gold guarantee dated 1819-1838 on the reverse ribbon tassel at the bottom of the laurel wreath, a makers mark on obverse ribbon tassels has been overmarked and is indecipherable, light loss of enamel to the laurel wreath, small enamel chips and flakes to tips of enamel arms on both obverse and reverse, surmounting crown slightly deformed as one obverse and three reverse arches have been bent, overall very fine condition.

A Decoration of the Lily, Silver Fleur-De-Lys. (Decoration du Lys). Instituted April 26, 1814. A silver Fleur-De-Lys decoration surmounted by a royal crown, reverse mirrors obverse, measures 24.80mm (w) x 50.88mm (h – including crown suspension), weighing 22.2 grams (including ribbon), on a replacement ribbon, tarnishing to obverse and reverse, light contact marks throughout, very fine condition.

Accompanied by two photographs reproduced from a copper engraving of Commander D’Agon De La Contrie wearing the decorations.

Provenance: This collection was owned by OMSA member Dr. George Podnusky, who was based out of Chicago, Illinois, USA. The group was displayed at an OMSA convention in the late 1970s or early 1980s.

Footnote: D’Agon De La Contrie was born in Colmar/Alsace on November 23, 1771. He served as the Commander of Phalsbourg from 1816 to 1830. In 1819, he was awarded the Royal Civil Merit Order of the Bavarian Crown. On June 14, 1820, he was awarded the Legion of Honor. By 1830, he had been awarded the Royal Order of St. Louis, and his name shows in registers as receiving and Officer of the Legion of Honor. He died in Noerdlingen on September 9, 1853.