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France. Free France badge or pendant featuring the Cross of Lorraine.
At its centre is the thistle, one of the historic symbols of Lorraine.
The Lorraine thistle is one of the region’s traditional emblems. Louis I of Anjou, King of Naples, was the first to introduce the thistle into his coat of arms during the 14th century.
His son, René II, later adopted it as his ducal emblem following his victory over Charles the Bold at the Battle of Nancy on 5 January 1477.
Thereafter, the thistle became a prominent element of the coat of arms of the city of Nancy. Following the battle, René II adopted the motto “Qui s’y frotte, s’y pique” (“Who rubs against it gets pricked”), referring both to the thistle’s spines and to the swords of the Lords of Lorraine.
Hard enamel brass. 15 × 13 mm.
French Resistance (Résistance) badge from the Second World War.
