Netherlands, Kingdom. An Order of the Union, Grand Cross Star, c.1880

(Orde van de Unie). Established by Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, King of Holland, in 1806. Abolished in 1811. Type IV (1807-1811). Of later manufacture likely Bacqueville firm, an exquisite napoleonic era decoration consisting of a beaded eight-pointed star in silver, the obverse embellished by a detailed superposed Dutch lion emerging from brave waves in silver gilt, with an enameled black background, surrounded by the inscription DOE WEL EN ZIE NIET OM (Unity Makes Strength), on an enameled dark blue border, the reverse with pin assembly and dual stays, marked under pin BOZ, measuring 87.20 mm (w) x 88.25 mm (h), with minor toned silver, otherwise a rare item in extremely good condition.

Footnote: The Order of the Union was originally established by Louis Napoleon Bonaparte when he became the hereditary and constitutional King of Holland in 1806. The Order underwent a number of name and design changes in its short 5-year lifespan. The first Order (Type I), the Grand Order of the Union, was founded on December 12, 1806, along with a sister order, the Order of Merit (Type II). No insignias were made for the Grand Order of the Union. These Orders were reunited as the Royal Order of Holland (Type III) only a short time later on February 13, 1807. The King’s brother, Emperor Napoleon I of France, did not approve of the Order, and it was altered again in February 1808. This new Order, the Order of the Union (Type IV), introduced Collars and Breast Stars, but it was finally superseded by Napoleon’s Order of the Reunion in 1811.The original Order’s decorations (Type IV) are highly scarce and they belong mainly to museums, selected collectors and royal families. Sometimes collector’s copies and later manufacture (mainly French from the second half of the 19th century) are encountered in the market.