Item number: M12

Year: AD 1800-1825

Material: Gold and Enamel

Size: 32.0 x 20.0 mm

Weight: 3.5 g

Provenance: Liverpool Medals 2022

In AD 1693, Louis XIV, the reigning king of France, decided to establish the “Order of Saint Louis” under the name of the legendary medieval monarch, Louis IX. This order was created to promote the Catholic faith among military officers and recognize their achievements. The members of the Order were eligible to receive the “Order of Saint Louis,” which comprised three ranks: Knight (chevalier), Commander (commandeur), and Grand Cross (grand-croix). According to the original statutes, the organization consisted of an unlimited number of knights, twenty-four commanders, and eight holders of the Grand Cross, marking the first time in French history that order was open to individuals of non-noble birth.

Following the outbreak of the French Revolution, in AD 1792, the National Convention, which had become the supreme authority, declared the establishment of the Republic and the annulment of the Order of Saint Louis. Although the restored Louis XVIII reinstated the order in AD 1814, it faced another discontinuation in AD 1830 after the July Revolution led to the election of the new ruler Louis-Philippe I, who announced the cessation of the Order of Saint Louis. For the known recipients of the order, an official directive was issued to remove the gold Freur De Lis, a symbol of the Bourbon dynasty, allowing them to publicly wear the order.

The method of wearing the Knight rank differs from the Commander and Grand Cross ranks. Instead of being suspended from an 11 cm wide red grand cordon fixed from the upper right to the lower left, the Knight rank is worn with a single 37 mm wide fiery red moiré ribbon, fastened through the eyelet on the left side of the garment.

According to the design of Louis XIV, retired officers who were honored with the order received fixed annual subsidies from the surplus of the Hôtel des Invalides, varying based on the level of the order. The Grand Cross level received 6000 livres, the Commander level received 3000 to 4000 livres, and the Knight level received 2000 livres. However, simultaneously, if an individual who has not been conferred the honor publicly wears the order, they will face the loss of noble titles and even endure up to twenty years of hard labor.

The overall appearance features a cross with white enamel borders, with a specific angle adorned with a gold Freur De Lis symbolizing the Bourbon dynasty of France. Two gold buttons are placed at each end of the branches, and near the central end, a gold-colored dovetail joint connects the badge to the insignia.

The three ranks of the Order of Saint Louis are all made of gold. The most awarded Knight class has a diameter of approximately 40 millimeters and weighs slightly over 11 grams. The higher grades, Commander and Grand Cross, have a diameter of 70 millimeters and weigh slightly over 38 grams. Recipients of the Order often commission private jewelers to craft reduced size replicas for more convenient carrying or display alongside other decorations. These workshops offer different pricing based on the size and material. The weight of this order is 3.5 grams, less than the official version’s 11 grams, making it precisely a miniature replica crafted by a private artisan.

The abbreviation on the border of the insignia’s obverse is also evidence of it being a private miniature replica. The insignia itself is oval-shaped, surrounded on both sides by a gold-bordered blue enamel border. The goldern uppercase inscription on the obverse reads “LUDOV. MAG. INST. 1693,” meaning “Louis the Great instituted in 1693” signifying “Established by Louis the Great in AD 1693,” differing from the official version’s “LUD. M. INST. 1693.”

At the centre of the insignia is a full-body portrait of King Louis, adorned in golden armor, with a blue enamel-painted white ermine cloak on his shoulders. The king’s right-hand holds a green enamel laurel wreath, while the left-hand grasps a green enamel crown of thorns worn by Jesus and a hanging white veil. He stands on green land in front of a red enameled background symbolizing the suffering of Jesus.

Due to its age, the once-complete blue enamel on the border has slightly worn off. A similar situation is observed in elements in green (laurel wreath, crown of thorns, land) and white (cloak, veil).

On the reverse side of the insignia, the blue enamel border bears the inscription “BELL VIRTUTIS PRAEMIUM,” which translates to “The Reward of Valor.” It is noteworthy that this version includes three additional letters (IUM) compared to the official version “BELL VIRTUTIS PRAEM.” At the center of the insignia is a burning golden sword, with the blade passing through a white belt and connecting to a green laurel wreath. The green enamel at the ends of the floral wreath and some of the blue enamel on the border have worn off, revealing the gold base of the insignia.

Due to the aforementioned history, the order is recognized by the present-day “International Commission for Orders of Chivalry” as a knighthood.

物件編號: M12

年代: 公元 1800-1825 年

材質: 黃金, 琺瑯

尺寸: 32.0 x 20.0 mm

重量: 3.5 g

來源: 利物浦獎章 2022

公元1693年，時任法國國王的路易十四決定以中世紀傳奇君王-路易九世之名，創建他本人為大團長的「聖路易騎士團」旨在鼓勵軍官的天主教信仰和立下戰功，更會頒發「聖路易勳章」予其成員。聖路易勳章包括三個等級：騎士級、指揮官級和大十字級。根據原始的章程，組織成員為無數量限制的騎士、二十四名指揮官和八名大十字勳章的擁有者組成，更是法國史上首次對平民出身者開放的勳章。 

法國大革命爆發後，公元1792年成為最高機關的國民公會，宣布成立共和國和取消聖路易勳章。雖然在公元1814年，復辟的路易十八又恢復該勳章的頒發。但公元1830年法國爆發七月革命後，民眾推舉的新統治者：路易-菲利普一世宣布停止頒發聖路易勳章。對於勳章已知的擁有者，官方下令將代表波旁王朝的百合花移除後，即能在公開場合佩戴該勳章。

騎士級聖路易勳章的佩帶方法，不同於指揮官級跟大十字級的綬章是懸掛在一條右上向左下方固定的11公分寬紅色大綬帶底端。騎士級勳章僅能以一條37毫米寬的雲紋火紅色系綬帶，將綬章別在衣服左側的扣眼上。 

根據路易十四的設計，受勳的軍官們退休後，依照勳章等級差異，每年能固定從榮譽軍人院的盈餘得到補助。 大十字級為6000里弗爾、指揮官級為3000到4000里弗爾和騎士級的2000里弗爾。 不過同時，若有未受勳者在公開場合佩戴該勳章，將會被剝奪貴族頭銜甚至面臨長達二十年的苦役。

勳章整體外觀為鑲有琺瑯白的金邊十字架，以特定角度跟象徵法國波旁王朝的金質百合花飾鑲嵌一塊。分支的末端各有兩粒金製鈕扣點，近中心端則以金色燕尾榫跟綬章作連結。

三種等級的聖路易勳章皆為金製材質，頒發數最多的騎士級直徑約為40毫米，重量略高於11克。較高級別的指揮官和大十字級直徑為70毫米，重量略高於 38 克。受勳者獲得勳章後，通常會委託民間珠寶工匠製作復刻品，以方便攜帶或與其他勳章一同展示。工坊會根據尺寸提供不同報價。這枚勳章的重量為3.5克，小於官方版本的11克，確切地說，它是一枚由民間工匠打造的復刻品。

綬章正面的邊框縮寫，亦是民間復刻品的證據之一。綬章呈一橢圓形，雙面皆被鑲金邊的藍色琺瑯邊框包圍。正面的金色大寫字母銘文為：「LUDOV. MAG. INST. 1693」，即「路易大帝設立於公元1693年」(完整：Ludovicus Magnus Instituit 1693)之意，和官方版本的「LUD. M. INST. 1693」有所不同。

綬章中央刻有聖路易國王的全身肖像，其身穿金甲，肩披以琺瑯藍塗裝的白底貂皮斗篷。國王右手拿著綠色琺瑯月桂花環，左手握著耶穌戴過的綠色荊棘王冠及一條下垂的白色面紗。國王雙腳踏在綠色土地上，站在象徵耶穌受難的紅色琺瑯背景前方。出於年代久遠，原先塗滿邊框的藍色琺瑯有些許脫落。相同的情況也出現在綠色(月桂花環、荊棘王冠、土地)和白色(斗篷、面紗)等元素上。

背面的藍色琺瑯邊框上印有銘文「BELL VIRTUTIS PRAEMIUM」，意指「以彰勇毅」，相較於官方版「BELL VIRTUTIS PRAEM」多出三個字母(IUM)。中央則展示一把燃燒的金寶劍，劍刃透過一條白色腰帶與綠色月桂花環相連。花環兩側末端的綠色琺瑯以及邊框上的一些藍色琺瑯已經剝落，顯露出綬章金製底座。

由於上述的歷史，該勳章被現今仍在活動的「國際騎士團委員會」認可為騎士團勳章。