Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

French First Empire Historic Headdress Cockades, four excessively rare examples sewn on their original card and with handwritten inscriptions. The first 3.4 cms in diameter is in pleated red (faded) and blue silk and is inscribed ‘Cocarde portée par Buonaparte 1er Consul an 10’, the second 4.9 cms in diameter is in pleated red (faded), blue and white silk and is inscribed ‘Cocarde portée par L’Empereur depuis Son Accessement au - throne an 1804 an 12. An additional note states ‘Cette Cocarde a ette (eté) portée par lui-même,’ the third is 9.5 cms in diameter in pleated silver lace, red and blue silks, a section deliberately omitted at the top with inscription ‘Cocarde portée par Les Français avant la 1er décheance 1813’, the fourth is 9.1 cms in diameter in pleated red silk, silver lace and blue silk a section deliberately omitted at the top with inscription ‘Cocarde portée par Les Français depuis La Retour de L’Ile D’Elbe An 1815’.
Inscribed at the bottom ‘Certifée Veritable Par Moi Chapelier de L’Empereur demeurant au Palais Royale a Paris Galerie de Pierre N.32 Signed Rougard? Delaunay’. A further handwritten note is on the outer cover stating ‘Cockades purchased at Waterloo Museum with a description Catalogue No. 32 of Catalogue of Sale Lot First January ????
Together with a small pewter button with raised legend ‘Guardia National’ enclosing a crowned script capital Y with ‘II’ within the tail of the Y (no back mark). With age staining but only very slight paper loss the cockades in very good condition for the age £300-500