JapanX

Another "inscribed" replica of 5th class, but this time with the balsa box

Although this specimen is not in very good shape ...

We'll see http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-Silver-merit-Medal-Militariy-weapon-product-WW2-Orden-/370831738359?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item56574b45f7#ht_206wt_1141

Yep. 463 if I remember correctly. I wonder if this unofficial title "Golden Kite for Industrial Labour" can be equaled with good old "Golden Kite"

Milliarde? :whistle:

Still more than you paid for yours ;)

$ 6 700 I wonder if our seller is missing now this bad russian who had "serious issues with Russian customs and insurance"

Yep, and sometimes these go as high as $2200 But the market is in a deep stagnation .... Who knows what tomorrow price will be

Of course back in US they call them SA-2 Guideline http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D1-75

Yep. 1965 was the very first year for C-75 in Vietnam...

Most likely for his activities connected with anti-aircraft defense Unfortunately I didn't see the citation for this one. I'll post another documented red star for Vietnam in a couple of days ;)

Another serial number RS # 3 568 983 for Vietnam was issued to Butenko Nickolay Ivanovich (Указ ПВС СССР from December 30,1965). Cheers, Nick

Well, there are only two versions of boxes. Balsa with dark blue interior and with three golden kanji on the lid "labour badge" and stamp "Japan Mint" (on the back side). Black lacquered with two-color (yellow/dark blue) interior and with five silver kanji on the lid "labour merit badge". The box on the Rich site is simply a wrong one (a replacement that was made either by the owner of the badge or by its seller on the YahooJapan) As for the "brown" and "orange" enamel. I think "brown" looks like more transparent "orange" on these photos because they were made with direct photoflash Regards, Nick

Yes, but what about all this suspense that "our vendor in Ukraine" gave to us ;)

By the way, I wonder if the neck badge is marked with M :whistle:

Simply enamel shades. Balsa boxes for lower classes - lacquered ones for higher classes. Usual story with japanese badges. Personally I see 2nd class (the badge with simple "labour badge" inscription on reverse) more often then 1st class ("merit badge") Not to my knowledge Cheers, Nick

Somebody should tell them about wrong position of the breast star in the box :lol:

+ springboard for attack Natural consequence of neutrality pact (日ソ中立条約) that was signed between Japan and USSR on the same day in Moscow ....

I don't think that there were any diplomatic relationships between USSR and Nanjing Government. Especially since on January 9, 1943 Nanjing Government declared war on US and UK

Could be ... could be ... But why then there are two variations (by reverse construction) of this Special class? Of course theoretically both variations could be manufactured by Tianjin Mint... USSR established diplomatic relationships with Manchukuo on April 13, 1941 (de facto even earlier - on March 23, 1935) As for Nanjing Government - I don't have exact info.

One thing is for sure - it's certainly special

Looks like the author of japanese wiki article devoted to this badge got this number by combining these numbers February 11, 1943 approximately 80 awardings 236 awardings in 1944 237 awardings in 1945 Although looks like he (or she? ) is not quite sure about this number :whistle:

http://www.imperialjapanmedalsandbadges.com/laborbadge.html P.S. Russian names become more and more tricky every day :lol: