Paraguay. A National Order of Merit, Commander, c.1940

Bronze gilt with green, white and blue enamels, 60.5 mm x 92 mm inclusive of its wreath suspension, replacement loop, enamel chipping evident on the white arms of the star, scattered gilt wear, near very fine. Footnote: The National Order of Merit was established by Marshal Francisco Solano López (July 24, 1827 - March 1, 1870) who succeeded his father as president of Paraguay in 1862 and held the office until his death in combat in 1870. He is remembered above all for bringing upon Paraguay the catastrophic war against the Triple Alliance of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay but his reputation has recovered in recent years, driven by nationalist sentiment. Originally the Order was for military only but it was revised in 1939 and is now Paraguay’s highest order for military and civil merit.