History

The Order of Commercial and Industrial Merit was created by the decree of May 27, 1939. The name of the Order was changed from the Order of Commercial Merit to the Order of Commercial and Industrial Merit on June 29, 1961. It was later suppressed when the National Order of Merit was instituted in 1963.

The Order was awarded for exceptional professional careers and contributions to the development of commerce and industry in France. A Knight had to be at least thirty five years of age and have a minimum of 15 years of service. Knights could be promoted to Officer after 6 years, and Officers could be promoted to Commander after 4 years.

There are four versions of the Knight. They vary in the shape of the serpents on the obverse, the effigy on the obverse medallion, and the inscription. The inscriptions translate to “Order of Commercial Merit,” “Commercial Merit,” “Commercial and Industrial Merit,” and “Order of Commercial and Industrial Merit.” There may be additional versions that vary in size, or manufacturer.