This ring is part of the history of 19th-century France. In 1887, the ring was awarded to Louis Antoine of France in honor of France’s 1824 victory over the Spanish liberal government. In 1823, Louis Antoine commanded the French corps known as the “Hundred Thousand Sons of Saint Louis,” sent to Spain to restore the absolute power of the Spanish King Ferdinand VII. The troops (as part of the Holy Alliance) suppressed the rebellion of Rafael del Riego in Spain.

According to contemporaries, “France’s military triumph was as swift as it was complete.”

The oval features an image of Louis Antoine wearing a laurel wreath, surrounded by the inscription “Spain blesses, Europe admires.” The central medallion opens to reveal a miniature document detailing the French expedition, including the composition of the army, battlefield locations, and the names of the main characters, printed on folded tissue paper.

* Louis (Louis Antoine, 1775 – June 3, 1844), Duke of Angoulême, was a member of the senior line of the French Bourbons. The Guinness Book of World Records lists him as the monarch with the shortest reign – in 1830, he “reigned” as “Louis XIX” for less than 20 minutes, and from 1836 until his death, he was the head of the French royal house (the Legitimist party in exile). Admiral of France, the last Dauphin of France (1824–1830).