SWE Erik

I have a fuchi with two caracters. If anyone can help me to translate them I would be very grateful.

/Erik

This piece is a duplicate award which is so marked.

Very Nice! But what is that yellow looking stuff on the order? paint?

/Erik

the reverse

Erik:

Beautiful Red Stars. Congratulations

Thanks! I have been very busy but here is another one.

no 115877

/Erik

and no 96800

Got two more beautiful red stars. Anyone dare to guess what front they could be from? I have to get Echoes of war some day. How much information is it on award numbers and fronts in the book, just a few for every award?

First no 106185

/Erik

Hi Erik!

Yes, I have seen this on Meiji style awards and discussing this issue with one of the Japanese dealers, he states the earlier ones were in fact engraved by hand. I see this trait on my awards as well. However, I guess what I am asking here is: Is there a noticable difference in the "mirror" between the Meiji and Showa Sacred Treasures at the 7th and 8th grade awards?? I have seen many for sale, but never one with the more rounded mirror at these two levels.

Thank you for responding!!

Tim

Well I don't have it with me but from memory I would say that the mirror is slightly larger and rounder than other orders.

Hope this helps.

/Erik

closeup

This is an old order. It has many small details that differ from the later ones. It is smaller and thinner and the inscription on the reverse is stamped by hand and the characters were not made in one strike.

/Erik

Erik,

I'm still learning and will try to answer your question if I can. I will use three examples of items I have saved PICS to, not necessarily my stuff here, but think it will help. If not, I am sure Paul will correct me and we both will learn!

Here is a Order of the Sacred Treasure (6th Class) and you can see both the medal and lapel device are both Meiji style. It came in a Meiji era case as well. So, IMO, all original to each other. Note how the lapel device is circular. Now, how to tell the differences between a 6th and higher award lapel device is beyond me at this point.

Tim

That was what I have been trying to figure out for some time, if the circular device is Meiji era or later.

It seems like the Rising sun 2nd class device I posted is for a 4th class.

Thanks for all the information! It is very useful.

/Erik

Erik,

The pleated round rosettes are for higher classes of the order, not a time related variation. Also my understanding of the way the mint worked is that they tended to make roughly the amount they needed to issue, rather than hold stock. Hence, if you get a Meiji style case with a Showa style medal it is probably put together for sale. The only way to be certain is to get groups with the documents (but even then you can never be 100% sure).

Best regards,

Paul

Would a Meiji type of the Order of the Rising Sun be a sign that my Showa era medalbar is a put together then?

I have searched through my picture archive and found a few different pleated rosettes.

This is the type that I was talking about above and that I sometimes see with sacred treasures of various classes.

This one is with a Rising Sun 2nd cl

Here is the last kind of rosette I can think of and it is for a late Sacred Treasure 3rd cl.

When You say that It is for Higher classes were You actually talking about the last rosette type that I have now posted? Or is the first one without the rectangular base also for high classes? I also forgot about the Rising Sun 2nd rosette that is pleated too.

Thanks for all the help.

/Erik

As I still see some sets for sale that seem to be made up of different era pieces, am I to assume these sets are made up to sell, or were they actually awarded using these pieces?

I assume for Meiji era awards, the button lapel device was always a ribbon bow, while the Showa era awards used the round rosette device. What about the Tashio era? Was there a different device used, or a transition period using leftover stock from Meiji period and eventually using the rosette?

Tim

I think It would be possible that they used up old stock over time. I can't see why they wouldn't. I have a mounted group from the showa era with what looks like an early Rising Sun 8th cl. The wear is consistent and everything looks right so I still think it belongs to the group. But since I don't have any documents I could be wrong.

There is a third type of rosette that has a pleated round ribbon. Maybe a type used betwen Meji and Showa, or just a variation of the showa type??

/Erik

Thanks Erik,

How later? Post war???

I'm not sure when they changed to this variant. But I think they were made late in the war and after it too. Hope this helps.

/Erik

Hello,

The reverse of the 7th class can be also be in plain silver??

Thanks,

Ricardo

Yes, This is a later variant of the order.

/Erik

Yes it's true, I would love to have a serial number on that medal bar, so I could see what's the story behind this group is!

By the way Eric, do you plan to research your little group with the Vienna medal?

If you ever get tired of your nice little group, please keep me in mind!

I got a few interesting medals that I'm planning to research some day and I think this one will have to stand in line and wait for its turn (it may take some time).

I'll keep You in mind but I rarely get tired of any of my medals.

/Erik

That group has everything! I love campaignmedals and wouldn't mind having that one in my collection!

Too bad it has no serialnumbered award to research it.

/Erik

Hi, Erik

Can I answer your question? "For Communism badge" is the official name. Because the Korean characters on the obverse can be translated to this meaning. And the former one is the name that the collectors called it.

Tang Si

Thanks Tang Si. Good to know the correct name. Do you know what it is awarded for?

/Erik

Nice badge Kevin. Do You know what it is? I have seen it described both as a "Red flag company badge" and "For Communism badge".

Here is a Cholima badge that i got today. It is quite worn but I think 39$ was ok for it.

/Erik

Mondays are good days.

Here are a few new pictures of the Rising Sun order that came today.

It has an unusual hook that I havn't seen before. The enamel is nice and shiftes in colour. It has some pores and the surface isn't entirely even.

/Erik

I made a picture of both side by side with the differenses marked.

Do You know the timeperiod of Your order?

I would guess showa.

/Erik

It helps alot, thank You.

A detail I have read about on another forum is that if the leaves veins almost touches the border of the medal.

(It looks like it on this example) Then this would mean that it is a Meiji era order. Do You think this is one way to date 7th classes?

/Erik

I have noticed that sometimes the rising sun orders have a different colour on the stems under the flowers.

Most of the orders has been in the old type boxes.

Do anyone know if this is an old variation of the orders or if you can find them from all time periods?

I'll attach a picture of one below. This one was sold in a box of the showa type. Would this be the wrong type for this order?

/Erik

don't remember the number but looks like 479.

Also, if after the revolution ODMs were by and large screwback or suspended by rectangular suspensions, why in 1943 did Stalin (I assume) back step to the older and more traditonal Russian (Czarist if I may) 5 sided suspension piece....... in a way, a symbol of the old regime that the revolution had overthrown.

Jim

I believe that I read somewhere that Stalin liked the design of the old russian uniform. Thats why later uniforms looks much like them. Perhaps the 5-sided suspension was introduced for the same reason?

Just a guess...

/Erik

That's a nice group, Soviet! I like them "salty".

/Erik