Dieter3

Hi Richard, Congratulations!! The limit is 110k on the GMIC site. I'll have to get my copy soon!! :D

Hi Kevin, You have an Order of the Rising Sun, 7th Class. I can't read the text of the certificate all that well, but I can make out the Showa 15 year, this is 1940, so I think you can call this WWII era! This was both a civilian and a military order. I can't read closely enough to read the name of the recipient, but it should indicate a military rank if they had one. Can you post a closer-up pic.??? Are the case lid kanji silver or gold? A pic. of this might be helpful too as the color and style can put a time frame on the medal. Is the back of the medal enameled? I'm no expert on these, but from observation, they are typically all correct, but you do see the occasional award in the wrong era case or with a certificate that is out of period for the award. Yours is probably correct, a more seasoned collector might be able to give you more info just with the pics. you've posted though.

Here is a silver version, pretty nice condition overall. Came with a silver merit lapel device, but I don't think it is supposed to have this. This particular one lacks the kanji for "silver" - unlike the one above that does have the kanji for "gold" on the lid. This is also a black case with silver writing, vs. greenish with gold writing. I don't know if this is the norm, or if there is some separation manufacturing style due to time??

Just got this one, pretty good condition. The box is really nice, a few small abrasions. The frame is in great shape as is the background. The medallion has some tarnishing, and light wear (maybe from cleaning?). Ribbon is nice, a few small flaws, but intact.

Opps. I should clarify that - I have seen the gold pins with the actual medals, I just have not seen them in the small plastic cases like this, they always seem to be in small, (sometimes) sealed plastic baggies. I figured they may occur in the plastic cases like the silver one, but as the silver one is intended for the plaque award, I'm unclear as to whether or not the gold pins come in these cases too for the gold medals, or if they always were given in the plastic bags? I know, kinda silly questions, but my curiosity gets the best of me!!

You have one of your own? SUPER-COOL!! Thanks Brian! They really are nice awards - the quality seems very good and they are with nice detail work.

Excellent! Thank you for that clarification, I suspected that might be the case. So - these would not be found in gold then, save for the actual gold merit medal that is still awarded?? (It IS still awarded, right?)

A newly acquired pair of women's merit medals. The silver one came with this style of rosette which is correct for the order, but not sure if it is correct for the period when it was given? The gold one came with two types, one like the silver but with the gold shoulder which again is correct for the order, and also with the gold pin. I've observed that the orders in these more modern cases do occur with either the button rosette or the metal pin. What I'd really like to know is if there was a transition at some point where the buttons became pins??? Did a recipient get both??? Are the pins merely add-ons?? Any clarification, greatly appreciated!!

Picked on of these up recently and appears to indicate Silver Order of Merit - So, I have seen these pins come with the actual Orders of Merit in both gold and silver, but usually in a tiny plastic bag, not a case like this. I'm wondering, what does this type of pin belong to?? I've not actually seen them sold with anything, always seem to be loners. Do/Did these accompany the modern version of the silver order of merit (the plaque??) The seller of this item referred to it as a"tie tack". Maybe??

He does rather look like Ken Watanbe, eh? :lol:

Have you been collecting all of these badges over a long period, or did you acquire a large collection??

Here's the reverse of the medal that belongs in that case, I think anyway this is the same one, writing is very similar - Inner Mongolia National Foundation Merit medal, somebody correct me if I'm wrong on this. They're semi-pricey if they're in good shape, pretty uncommon. Though I did see one in good condition sell for about $20.00 or so, it was in a China Incident case, nobody really seemed to catch on to it except one or two people! I was stunned. I should have bid on it, but I'm reluctant to stray from Japanese stuff.

Wow! You're really going to town on these badges!!

I might be off, but is that not the Inner Mongolia Foundation Medal case?

Beautiful!

I haven't paid close attention to final sales prices, but they always seem to fetch between $100-$200 especially if they are cased and in nice condition. I know some of our members will be more familiar with the prices than I am.

Looks very nice!! These little babies are pricey!

The carbon seemed to do nicely! Just unpacked it over the weekend from the "Glad"ware container with the carbon and the odor is pretty much gone! You can still detect a hint of "something" but not like before - geez, when I got this thing, a few whiffs would have put you in danger of getting lung cancer! Anyway, I will continue to monitor it, but I've added it to the collection which is packed into an archival storage box that has layers of zeolite and carbon that will hopefully continue to collect any residual from within.

Do you have "In the Name of a Living God"? I think you indicated you did, not in there??

Ah, that is always too bad when we lose people. Well, at least his actions helped pass along the history!

Looks to be nice condition! :D

Nice! And with the lacquer case and correct lapel rosette! :D

Yeah, same thing on a couple of bayonets I have, and one medal. Frankly, I'm surprised I don't find more than I have!

It certainly would make sense for higher class awards to come in nicer cases, I can see that. Unfortunately, so few (relatively speaking) cased documents come up, let alone higher class documents, it is really hard to say. Are those Showa documents earlier or later ones?