19th-20th century AD. Gilt and green enamelled wreath suspender with pale blue silk ribbon and rosette. Obv: blue and white enamelled Maltese cross on gilt sunburst background with black enamelled five-mounted star at centre. Rev: as obverse. 24.8 grams The Order was created on 1 December 1889 by Toffa, King of Porto-Novo and later king of Dahomey in West Africa, to reward his subjects and the French employed by the Protectorate; it became a French Colonial Order by the decrees of 10 and 23 May 1896 and was administered by the Grand Chancellery of the Legion d’Honneur until it became defunct on 3 December 1963; the Order came to be used to reward French military personnel for a minimum of 10 years service in West and Equatorial Africa.