France, Republic. An Order Of Agricultural Merit, Officer & Knight, C.1925

Ordre du Mérite Agricole. Instituted in 1883. Type I without date. Officer: in silver gilt with blue and white enamels, hallmarked with a boar's head on the tip of the ribbon on the reverse, measuring 36 mm (w) x 64.7 mm (h) inclusive of its wreath and laterally-pierced ball suspension, chipping and crazing evident on four of the six star points on the reverse, traces of gilt remains, original ribbon 12 o'clock arm enamel repaired with loss; and Knight: in silver with blue and white enamels, measuring 35 mm (w) x 46 inclusive of its laterally-pierced ball suspension, chipping evident in the white enamels on the arm at 10 o'clock on the obverse, original ribbon. Together, very fine.

Footnote: The Order of Agricultural Merit is an order bestowed by the French Republic for outstanding contribution to agriculture. It was second in importance only to the National Order of the Legion of Honour within the French order of precedence when it was created. The order was established on July 7, 1883 based on the proposition of the then Minister of Agriculture Jules Méline, in an effort to adequately reward services to agriculture in view of the maximum number of the Legion of Honours that could be awarded yearly. His reasoning was that more than eighteen million Frenchmen lived directly from this industry, which had a direct and most powerful impact on the entire national economy, farmers, agronomists, professors, researchers, labour was intensive and never ending, devotion was commonplace but the rewards were rare. The original 1883 decree created a single grade order, only ""Knights"" (Chevaliers) were thus decorated. The decree of June 18, 1887 added the grade of ""Officer"" (Officier) and a third grade, that of ""Commander"" (Commandeur) was created by a decree of August 3, 1900. The present form and statute of the Order of Agricultural Merit were outlined in decree 59-729 of June 15, 1959. The Order comprises approximately 340,000 Recipients to date, of which approximately 23,000 are alive at any given time, including all living former ministers of agriculture, officers number approximately 60,000 to date with approximately 5,000 living and approximately 4800 were made commanders to date, with approximately 400 living at any given time.

This offering is a part of the "Dr. Albert Goodwin Collection", a preeminent assemblage of world Orders, Medals, and Decorations composed solely by Dr.Goodwin between 1946-1967. Dr. Goodwin had a successful career as an educator and prominent physician in New York as well as actively serving in both World Wars with the United States Medical Corps. He acted as both President and Vice-President of the Orders and Medals Society of America (OMSA) and is responsible for organizing their first convention in 1960. He maintained further membership with the American Society of Military Collectors, the International Orders Research Society, and the American Numismatic Society. His knowledge and passion for history and awards is evident in this meticulously compiled collection that is now available in its entirety for the first time exclusively on eMedals.com.