Legion of Honour which went to foreigners. The large number of decorations resulted from the new posthumous awards authorised in 1918. Traditionally, membership in the could not be awarded posthumously. The establishment of the Fourth Republic in 1946 brought about the latest change in the design of the Legion of Honour. The date "1870" on the obverse was replaced by a single star. The Legion of Honour is a national order of France, meaning a public incorporated body. The Legion is regulated by a civil law code, the "Code of the Legion of Honour and of the Military Medal". While the President of
Bien mérité de la Patrie "Bien mérité de la Patrie". These resolutions were published in "Le Moniteur Universel", in a manner similar to being mentioned in dispatches. The practice was pursued under the French Consulate, which furthermore instituted the award of Weapons of Honour for the military, and scarfs of honour to civilians. These were replaced by the Legion of Honour, founded by Bonaparte on 9 May 1802, morphing the award back into an order of chivalry (however, the Legion was awarded without reference to the distinction between noble and non-noble). The term ""bien mérité de la Patrie"", or the close ""bien mérité du pays"",