History

Created just after the end of the War of Independence of Peru, the Order of the Sun (Orden del Sol) was founded by the revolutionary hero General San Martin in 1821 to reward the Peruvian, Argentinian, and Chilean Officers who had distinguished themselves in the Peruvian War of Independence.

The Order was established as a replacement for the Spanish Order of Isabella the Catholic, being the oldest order of merit in America. It was authorized with three grades, Founder, Meritorious Member (Benemérito), and Member.

The Order was discontinued on March 9, 1825.

Some examples of this Order are exposed by different museums in South America. There are no known examples in the market, due to its short useful life.

The Order was reinstated on April 21, 1921 to commemorate the centennial of the declaration of Peruvian independence. It was designed to reward civilians and military personnel, both national and foreign, in recognition of meritorious service to the nation in fields such as arts, letters, culture, and politics.

It was established with four grades, i.e. Grand Cross, Grand Officer, Commander, and Officer. The Collar and Knight were added years later.

In MB, the Order is classified into types. Type I includes the information regarding to the Order between 1821 and 1825. Type II consists of the information regarding to the Order since 1921.