France, Republic. An Apostolic And Hospitaller Order Of Saint George Of Burgundy

A large silver-gilt Maltese cross with ball-tipped finials, the arms with fish scales within beaded borders, fleurs de lys between the arms; the face with a circular central medallion bearing a figure of St George on horseback slaying the dragon within a ring with beaded borders bearing stylised laurel sprays and surrounded by sapphires upper and lower left and right with five pearls above and four pearls left, right and below; the reverse plain with pin for wear; diameter 76mm (2.99 inches), very fine overall.

Footnote: The Order of Saint George of Burgundy was founded in 1390, subsequently lapsed, was revived in 1485 and continued in existence into the 19th Century, despite the ravages of the French Revolution, and was suppressed by Royal Ordinance of 16 April in 1824 which made it illegal to wear decorations and insignia other than those of Royal orders. An instruction of the Chancery of the Legion of Honour of 5 May 1824 specifically cited the Order of Saint George as abolished. The Order reappeared in the 1920s, being registered as a not-for-profit organisation under French law on 14 March 1929, and claimed a number of prominent members. It is generally believed that the revived Order became dormant in the mid-1930sbut it was included in the list of Orders banned by the Holy See in 1953.