Order of St. Alexander Nevsky with diamonds awarded to Paul Deschanel in 1901

Gold, silver, enamel, diamonds (about 340 old cut diamonds and diamond roses with a total weight of about 3.8 ct.).
Size 57.3 x 52.3 mm.
Weight 49.4 g.

Marked on the loop with gold hallmark "56" from 1899-1904 time period [kokoshnik to the left +assayer’s mark "ЯЛ" for Yakov Lyapunov] and maker's mark "CB" for jeweler Karl Karlovich Blank /Карл Карлович Бланк/.

Medallions.

Marks.

 

Breast star with crown and diamonds (about 500 old cut genuine diamonds and diamond roses with a total weight of about 20 ct.).

Silver, gold, gilt, enamel.
Size 92.6 x 90.9 mm.
Weight 142.6 g.

 

 

According to the official archive files (RGIA, fond 468, opis 1015, № 84/РГИА, фонд 468, опись 1015, № 84) this set was manufactured (at the cost of 2,759 Roubles) in 1899 by Karl Blank, head workmaster of the firm of Karl Hahn, for whom he was working from the 1890s until 1912. Until 1912 the house of Karl Hahn produced about 90 percent of the insignia supplied to the "Cabinet of His Majesty the Emperor". Originally conferred on September 3, 1899, (with № 84) upon the Privy Counsellor Michail Nikolajewich Kapustin [Михаил Николаевич Капустин] (1828–1899), it was returned (sold) after his death to the Cabinet. On December 19, 1900, (with № 105) the set was conferred upon the personal surgeon of the Emperor, Gustav Ivanovich Hirsch [Густав Иванович Гирш] (1828–1907). He himself returned the insignia to the "Cabinet of His Majesty the Emperor" and preferred to receive the respective money amount. On September 10, 1901, (with № 124) the set was conferred upon Paul Deschanel, President of the French Chamber of Deputies. The journalist and author Paul Deschanel (1855–1922) in 1885 was elected deputy [Député] in the French Chamber of Deputies [Chambre des députés] of the National Assembly [Assemblée nationale] for the Département Eure-et-Loir, an office which, since 1901 for the Alliance démocratique (later Alliance républicaine démocratique and Parti républicain démocratique) he held until 1920. From 1898 until 1902 and again from 1912 until 1920 he served as President of the Chamber [Président de la Chambre des députés]. During his first presidency of the chamber, the Russian Emperor Nicholas II during his second official state visit to France (1901), handed over to him this order's set in diamonds of the Imperial Order of the Saint Prince Alexander Newsky. In January 1920 Deschanel was elected President of the French Republic [Président de la République française], the 11th of the Third Republic. In February he took up office. Shortly after, his environment noticed mental problems and signs of senile dementia. Therefore he resigned in September the same year. Elected in 1921 as senator [sénateur] he held this office until his death in 1922.

 

Same set under different light.