France, Free Country Of Burgundy. An Order Of Saint George Of Burgundy, Embroidered Breast Star, C. 1925

Instituted in 1390, obsolete in 1869, revived in the 1920s until 1937. An embroidered star of silver bullion and sequins, presenting a Maltese cross with Fleur-de-lis in each quadrant, the obverse medallion in silver presenting the iconography of St. George riding a horse and slaying a dragon, with floral motifs on the surrounding ring, sewn onto the cross at the fleur-de-lis, the reverse is reinforced with a blue cloth backing, measures 94.9mm (w) x 95.9mm (h), weighs 30.3 grams, light wear to silver, backing presenting glue residue in the center, small hole in backing at 4 o’clock, in extremely fine condition.

Accompanied by a book of statues for the revival of the order in French, entitled “Ordre de Saint-Georges de Bourgogne” published in Paris in 1937.

Footnote: The original noble confraternity, “Saint George of Burgundy” was founded in 1390 by Philippe de Mollans, after he made a pilgrimage and collected a relic of Saint George. Members of the order had to prove 16 quarters of nobility and 10 degrees of nobility in male line, be natives of Franche-Comte, Catholics, older than 16 and pay 300 livres. The society lapsed but was revived in 1485, and again discontinued meetings during the Thirty Years War until 1648. The arms of the order were registered in 1696 and the statutes revived in 1768. However, by 1824, a Royal ordinance of April 16 made it illegal to wear decorations and insignia other than those of the Royal orders. The Order of Saint George was abolished, and the last knight died in 1869, at which point the Order became extinct.

The revival of the order began in the 1920s, when it was headed by a Grand Referendary named the comte de Maupas (a false name and title). Maupas was succeeded in 1923 by Marquis de Golbery (another false title), and in 1926, replaced by a General Government. The statues were revised in 1929 for the “Apostolic and Hospitaller Order of Saint George and Notre-Dame du Mont-Carmel” Order. However, in 1931, all references to the “Notre-Dame du Mont-Carmel” were dropped. Three years later, the Order of Saint George claimed the membership of two French generals, three Italian generals and three American generals. After two individual cases of members being tried for the illegal sale of decorations (by the same court that declared the order to have been abolished in the 1820s), and for wearing false orders and therefore impersonating a general, the order disappeared completely after 1937. The order is included in the list of false orders condemned by the Holy See in 1953.