Six-pointed silver-edged blue enamel Maltese cross with woven silvered ribbons between the arms, on silvered swivel oval laurel wreath and knot suspension; the face with a central circular silver medallion bearing the laurel-crowned female head facing right, representative of the French Republic and circumscribed ‘REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE’; the reverse with a central circular silver medallion bearing the civil and military French tricolours in blue, white and red enamel, encircled by a ring inscribed ‘ORDRE NATIONAL DU MERITE 3 DECEMBRE 1963’; on original ribbon. The Order was created on 3 December 1963 by President de Gaulle with the aim of honouring the distinguished civil and military services that, at that date, were recognised by 13 Ministerial and 3 French Overseas Orders. These sixteen Orders were thus suppressed and replaced with this single Order of Merit. The Order of Merit is administered by a Chancellor who is also Grand Chancellor of the Legion d’Honneur. Since its creation, it has been awarded to notable personalities from all walks of life and has thus acquired considerable prestige. A very good example.
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