Dates of minting the Orders at the Japan Mint

[fukuoka]

Just a brief entry to reveal some interesting information. It seems that there was a long time that the Japan Mint did not make the Orders, though war and commemorative medals were always being minted. The latter types were easy to make because they were similar to coins, but the Orders involved detailed and difficult enamel and jewel work, so private companies were used to make them. We have all probably heard about the early medals made by Hirata, but there must have been many manufacturers to discover. I have yet to learn the names of most of these companies, but I've just started the search.

Here are the first Japan Mint productions of each order recorded in my official Japan Mint histories. (NOTE: These dates are NOT the dates the orders were established.)

Collar of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum: Showa 6 [1931]

Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum: Showa 8 [1933]

Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers: Showa 6 [1931]

Order of the Sacred Treasure: Showa 4 [1929]

Order of the Sacred Crown: Showa 5 [1930]

Order of the Golden Kite: Showa 7 [1932]

Order of Culture: Showa 18 [1943]

The Order of the Rising Sun was made by the Japan Mint for the first few years: (Meiji 9- 13 [1876-1880]) and then production halted until Showa 7 [1932].

So we have a lot of years when no Orders were being made at the Japan Mint.

(More detailed and interesting info like this is forthcoming in my fifth ebook on Japanese medals! Sorry to plug my wares--please delete this part if inappropriate.)

Rich

Edited August 16, 2011 by fukuoka

[Richard LaTondre]

Excellent Information. Thank you.

Richard

[Josef Rietveld]

Thanks for this very informative input, looks as there are many things to find out. In the future we will maybe collect japanese ODMs by maker.

haynau