taquito22 Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Hello everyone, I was looking for some guidance on a particular golden kite. Anyone have an opinion on whether this is a 6th or 7th and from what period it is from? I am just no good at telling them apart. thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBFloyd Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 It's a 6th class (gilt, with the sword hilts in silver). The 7th class is silver, with only the kite being gilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul L Murphy Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 This is a Showa era 6th class piece. If you count the number of holes in the sword belt it is the easiest way to tell the difference (see the pinned topic in this section of the forum). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taquito22 Posted January 29, 2011 Author Share Posted January 29, 2011 Thanks guys for the quick response. I did review the pinned topic but I wanted to be sure. What about putting a value on this medal with case and rosette? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieter3 Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 (edited) Thanks guys for the quick response. I did review the pinned topic but I wanted to be sure. What about putting a value on this medal with case and rosette? In Japan these are selling from (recently) 12,000-19,000 or so on the average, depending on the condition, average to good. Some very nice pieces (very good condition really, or so the pictures would indicate!) have been fetching upwards of 30,000 yen, so you can do the dollar conversion. They don't come up on eBay nearly as often, but I'd probably tack an additional 20-30% onto the converted values. They mostly seem to be later, Showa-era pieces. Edited January 30, 2011 by Dieter3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilbit Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Hello everyone, I was on lurking mode and was mostly reading the forum for several months but now due to some questions had to register I bought two orders of golden kite as a lot recently. Bought them from the local medals/orders dealer in Japan for relatively cheap price ($600 a piece) with guarantee paper etc. Well, the question is regarding golden kite order. Looking at the web sites regarding the lot I couldn't identify the period .... the reverse seems like it is older type of the order. What do you think? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieter3 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 That is a post-war replica. The hook and catch appear to be of a type used on more modern medals. The white bands are not as wide as originals and the ribbon narrows too much at it's bottom where it attaches to the ring. The suspension ball and ring are also different. Original cases are of lacquered wood and have a hasp on the fronts. I'm assuming that yours is of a hard plastic, with a spring-loaded hinge?? Original medals have rivets/screws on the reverse, you can see Paul's posting on dating this award. I don't know about Golden Kites since they were abolished early after the end of WWII, but what I've observed as apparently very late war, or early post-war (based on medals with certificates, for what that's worth....) Scared Treasures, these also have plain reverses, lacking rivets and screws, but still in lacquered cases. Unknown of the purpose of your medal - simply a collector's replica, or an actual veteran replica - I'd imagine a great many military persons were due this award that could not receive an original, just a thought, simply my opinion - we should let an actual expert comment on this now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul L Murphy Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 It is a collector's replica. If I were you I would bring it straight back and get a refund if you can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilbit Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 thank you for your comments I'll return it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieter3 Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 thank you for your comments I'll return it. Keep up posted on whether or not the seller gives you a hard time. Hopefully the return will go smoothly. And don't hesitate to post more often, no more lurking only! ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilbit Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Keep up posted on whether or not the seller gives you a hard time. Hopefully the return will go smoothly. And don't hesitate to post more often, no more lurking only! Hi Dieter3. It was mainly misunderstanding from my side because he actually mentioned that it was early time reproduction (Paul L Murphy was right - thanks) and provided me with complementary documents certifying it as reproduction (didn't know that even reproductions go with documents). Because I have lack of understanding of written Japanese I couldn't read what was actually written. Though the second medal I bought is real war time medal: he opened some japanese catalogue and showed me it. The seller is nice guy who is in business for 20 years so there were no hard time at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul L Murphy Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Who is the seller ? If he has been around that long I might know him, especially if he is in Tokyo or Kansai. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieter3 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Hi Dieter3. It was mainly misunderstanding from my side because he actually mentioned that it was early time reproduction (Paul L Murphy was right - thanks) and provided me with complementary documents certifying it as reproduction (didn't know that even reproductions go with documents). Because I have lack of understanding of written Japanese I couldn't read what was actually written. Though the second medal I bought is real war time medal: he opened some japanese catalogue and showed me it. The seller is nice guy who is in business for 20 years so there were no hard time at all. Ah! Good to hear, I'm glad you were not mislead about this. Don't hesitate to come here and ask questions - I can't volunteer any individuals' efforts, but I'd bet you could get assistance with Japanese language stuff here if needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilbit Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Who is the seller ? If he has been around that long I might know him, especially if he is in Tokyo or Kansai. Hi Paul, The guy lives in Fukushima. Name is Nakajima-san. Dieter, Usually my wife translates me the stuff but she was out for few days that's why I had no better idea than go for the forum ... So, thank you one more time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul L Murphy Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Is that Fukushima prefecture in Tohoku or the Fukushima district of Osaka ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilbit Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Is that Fukushima prefecture in Tohoku or the Fukushima district of Osaka ? It is Fukushima prefecture in Tohoku. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul L Murphy Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I lived in Fukushima for about seven months in 1990 as an exchange student. I was in Hobara-machi which is about 30 minutes by train from Fukushima-shi (at least that's how long it took then but things might have changed). It is a lovely part of the world. Unfortunately I do not know any dealers in that area. Now that I think about my time there I can feel a nostalga trip coming on ........ :love: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilbit Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 I lived in Fukushima for about seven months in 1990 as an exchange student. I was in Hobara-machi which is about 30 minutes by train from Fukushima-shi (at least that's how long it took then but things might have changed). It is a lovely part of the world. Unfortunately I do not know any dealers in that area. Now that I think about my time there I can feel a nostalga trip coming on ........ yeah, nice area and very nice people over there compared to that of Tokyo ))) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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