United States. A Legion of Merit, Chief Commander Breast Star, Cased

United States; Sterling silver gilt with red, white, blue and green enamels, weighing 121 grams, numbered "53", maker marked "B & B Co" and marked "STERLING" on the reverse, illustrating a wreath of green laurel joined at the bottom by a gold bow-knot (rosette), a domed five-pointed white star bordered in crimson, points reversed with v-shaped extremities, each tipped with a gold ball, crossed arrows pointing outwards between each of the arms of the star, center with a blue disk encircled by gold clouds, with thirteen white stars arranged in the pattern that appears on the Great Seal of the United States, "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" engraved on the reverse, 74.3 mm x 71.2 mm, horizontal pinback, light contact and crazing evident in the red and white enamels on the arm at 10 o'clock, otherwise the enamels are intact, extremely fine. Accompanied by its 10.3 mm x 35.7 mm ribbon bar with pinback and its 9.5 mm x 17.7 mm enamelled ribbon bar with button hole attachment, in its hardshelled case of issue, marked "LEGION OF MERIT CHIEF COMMANDER" on the lid, light wear and scuffing evident on the exterior, case also extremely fine. Footnote: This order is issued to heads of state or government. However this degree was awarded by President Roosevelt to some Allied World War II theater commanders usually for joint amphibious landings or invasions (The President had this power under Executive Order 9260 of October 29, 1942 paragraph 3b).