History

The Order of the Reunion was established by Napoleon Bonaparte on October 18, 1811. It reunited all orders of the Empire into one French order, which helped to control the growing number of Knights in the Legion of Honour.

The Order was conferred upon subjects of the Empire for judicial or administrative services, or for meritorious military careers. The Order had limits of 10 000 Knights, 1000 Commanders, and 200 Grand Crosses. As of March 31, 1814 there were 1364 Knights, 127 Commanders, and 131 Grand Crosses.

During the First Restoration the Order was not conferred, however it was conferred when Napoleon returned to power during the Hundred Days. It was permanently discontinued by Louis XVIII on July 28, 1815. By the same decree, Louis XVIII stipulated that the members of the Order could be admitted to the Legion of Honour if they returned their decorations to the Monnaie de Paris to be melted down.

The obverse inscription translates to “Forever” and the reverse inscription translates to “All for the Empire.” The crown inscription translates to “Napoleon the Founder.”

The Order of the Reunion is translated from the French "Ordre de la Réunion."

There are versions of the Knight that vary in size and manufacturer.