Item number: M433

Year: AD 1921-2025

The results after XRF testing

Material: Copper-gilt

Size: 23.3 x 23.3 x 1.6 mm

Weight: 4.9 g

Manufactured by: Graco Paris

Provenance: La Galerie Numismatique 2025

This is a lapel pin sold by the Society of Members of the Legion of Honour, serving as a token of membership.

The obverse bears the initials “SLDH”, the abbreviation of La Société des membres de la Légion d’honneur, above a representation of the insignia of the Legion of Honour, all encircled by a laurel wreath with five binding ties. The reverse is fitted with a horizontal pin and two vertical stabilising loops, and is stamped “Drago Paris”, identifying the manufacturer as the firm Drago Paris.

The design of the insignia of the French Legion of Honour derives from that of the cross of the Order of the Holy Spirit, though the four-armed cross is replaced by a five-rayed star whose ten points are capped with metal studs and whose rays are filled with white enamel. The rays are joined by a wreath of green enamel composed of oak leaves on the right and laurel on the left, the branches crossing at the base and tied with a bow. At the centre lies a gold medallion bearing the profile of Ceres, symbolising the French Republic, surrounded by a blue enamel ring inscribed “RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE”. The star is suspended from a second green enamelled wreath, likewise composed of oak leaves on the right and laurel on the left. On the reverse, the central gold medallion displays two Tricolours and bears, on its outer ring, the unchanged motto of the order, “HONNEUR ET PATRIE”, together with the date of its creation in the Republican calendar: “29 Floréal An X” (corresponding to AD 1802, 19 May).

The Society of Members of the Legion of Honour (SMLH), originally established in AD 1921 as the Société d’entraide des membres de la Légion d’honneur, sought to unite all recipients of the Legion of Honour. In the aftermath of the heavy fighting on the Western Front during the First World War, state support proved insufficient for the approximately 175,000 holders of the decoration, many of whom were ordinary soldiers who possessed honour but lived in poverty. Members with greater means contributed through dues, donations, or legacies to assist those in need. Over time, guided by the spirit of the Legion of Honour—according to which every recipient swears upon their honour to devote themselves to the service of the Republic, to uphold the integrity of its territory, to defend its government, laws, and the property they guarantee, to resist, by all means permitted by justice, reason, and law, any attempt to restore the feudal order and its titles, and finally to contribute to the preservation of liberty and equality—the society expanded its activities and became a comprehensive charitable organisation. Items such as lapel pins are not reserved solely for recipients of the Legion of Honour but are sold to the wider public and to those wishing to support the society’s initiatives, thereby raising funds for its philanthropic programmes and expressing adherence to the values embodied by the Legion of Honour.

Drago Paris was founded in the AD 1920s in Nice by Alessandro Drago and rapidly became one of France’s leading insignia manufacturers, particularly in the years surrounding the Second World War. The firm became renowned for the high quality of its metalwork, the refinement of its enamelling, and the precision of its detail. It operated several workshops—in Paris, Nice, and elsewhere—whose maker’s marks varied by period. Its clientele extended across the French armed forces, gendarmerie, police, government ministries, the national honours system, colonial forces, and numerous international bodies; it also produced bespoke insignia for regiments, units, schools, and associations. In AD 2024, Drago Paris was selected to produce official commemorative pins for the Olympic Games, among which the dove design attracted particular public attention.

物件編號: M433

年代: 公元 1921-2025 年

XRF分析結果:

材質: 銅質鍍金

尺寸: 23.3 x 23.3 x 1.6 mm

重量: 4.9 g

製造地: 德拉戈巴黎公司

來源: 錢幣藝廊 2025

這是一枚法國榮譽軍團勳章受勳者協會所銷售的翻領襟章，作為成員的證明。

章體正面中央為「SLDH」，為｢La Société des membres de la Légion d’honneur｣，即「法國榮譽軍團勳章受勳者協會」的縮寫。下方為法國榮譽軍團勳章。外側以桂冠環繞，桂冠上有五處綁帶。

背面則為橫向的別針，上下則有縱向的支撐環。下方則為「Graco Paris」，即製造商德拉戈巴黎公司。

法國榮譽軍團勳章的章飾源自聖靈騎士團的十字設計，但由四臂改為五星芒，星芒輪廓內填以白色琺瑯，十個尖端皆飾以金屬圓鈕。各放射芒由一圈綠色琺瑯的花冠連結而成，花冠由右側的橡樹枝葉和左側的月桂枝葉構成，二者在下端交叉並以結飾繫合。中心則為一枚金質圓形徽章，描繪象徵法蘭西共和國的穀神刻瑞斯(Cérès)側面像。圓章外環以藍釉琺瑯書「RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE」(法蘭西共和國)。整枚勳章懸掛於另一圈綠釉花冠之上，同樣由右側的橡樹枝葉和左側的月桂枝葉構成。勳章背面中心的金質圓章上飾以兩面三色旗，外緣銘刻自創設以來未曾更改的格言「HONNEUR ET Patrie」(榮譽與祖國)，並標示該勳章設立於共和曆十年花月二十九日(即公元1802年5月19日)。

法國榮譽軍團勳章受勳者協會(SMLH)，原名法國榮譽軍團勳章受勳者互助協會(Société d’entraide des membres de la Légion d’honneur)成立於公元1921年，旨在團結所有榮譽軍團勳章受章者。由於第一次世界大戰中西線的慘烈戰事，政府的扶助不足以供給當時17.5萬名勳章得主，以致許多普通士兵握有榮譽，卻深陷貧困。該協會中較有能力者會透過會費、捐款或遺贈等方式幫助較困難的受勳者。隨時間推移，該協會秉持榮譽軍團的精神：「凡被授予榮譽軍團勳章之人士，均須以其榮譽發誓：將奉獻自身於共和國之服務；維護其領土之完整；捍衛其政府、其法律以及法律所確立之財產；並以正義、理性與法律所允許的一切方式，抵抗任何企圖恢復封建制度、重建其特權與稱號的行動；最後，將竭其所能，促進自由與平等之維護」 。致力於各種公益活動，成為綜合性的公益組織。翻領襟章等周邊產品不獨為榮譽軍團勳章受勳者所擁有，而是向公眾及有志於加入相關公益活動者售賣，除為公益活動籌集資金外，也是對於榮譽軍團精神與價值的認同。

德拉戈巴黎(Drago Paris)於公元1920年代在法國尼斯，由亞歷山德羅·德拉戈(Alessandro Drago)創立，之後迅速成為法國最重要的徽章製造商之一，特別是在第二次世界大戰前後。德拉戈的產品以金屬工藝精良、琺瑯品質高、細節刻畫細膩著稱，並曾擁有多家分支工坊，包括巴黎、尼斯等地，標記形式也因時期而異。其客戶涵蓋法國軍隊、憲兵、警察、各級政府機構、國家勳章系統、殖民地部隊與國際組織，並承接大量軍團、兵種、學校與社團的訂製徽章。公元2024年，德拉戈巴黎公司被選中為奧運生產紀念徽章，其中鴿子徽章頗受公眾喜愛。