“Unofficial” Manchukuo National Foundation Medal: Undescribed Variation

[JapanX]

We are all familiar with Manchukuo National Foundation medal.

Nice, but nothing special...

It was established in 1933 to commemorate "the birth of a new nation” that happened in 1932.

Medal

[JapanX]

Box

[JapanX]

And now something new.

My guess it was some kind “unofficial” version of this medal.

Medal

[JapanX]

Box

[JapanX]

Obverse bears same inscription as obverse of the “official” National Foundation medal (only script is slightly different):

National Foundation

[JapanX]

On reverse we observe exactly the same inscription as on “official” National Foundation medal

Great Manchukuo / National Foundation Merit Medal / Ta Tung 1

[JapanX]

And even balsa box bears the same inscription as lacquered “official” medal box

[JapanX]

By the way, interior of the box is exactly the same as interior of “unofficial” First Anniversary of Manchukuo Medal (a.k.a. Medal with the Flag)

[JapanX]

And the ribbon of this medal has the same pattern as notorious “unofficial” National Foundation Merit Medal (“red/blue/white/black/yellow” when official National Foundation Medal has another color order of stripes “blue/red/yellow/white/black”)

[JapanX]

Of course the big question is the real purpose of these three so-called "unofficial" or "personal" medals.

And this question remains unanswered...

Cheers,

Nick

[fukuoka]

And the final price on Yahoo Auction Japan was the equivalent of over $3000 USD. What is that medal???

[fukuoka]

And the final price on Yahoo Auction Japan was the equivalent of over $3000 USD. What is that medal???

[posted twice, sorry]

Edited May 6, 2012 by fukuoka

[JapanX]

And the final price on Yahoo Auction Japan was the equivalent of over $3000 USD. What is that medal???

Well, it is definitely "unofficial" since official chart of Manchukuo decorations doesn't include it

And it's not some surrogate substitute for original foundation medal (more than enough were manufactured) ...

[fukuoka]

Nick, please look at the COMMENTS section of the medal in Peterson's book, page 156. He mentions that various companies produced samples of the medal, and that some of these are in collections. Mike Quigley pointed this out to me, and it was a short comment that I had completely forgotten. Peterson mentions that gilt instead of silver was used for some, and that corresponds to this medal. So this is probably an ultra-rare sample of a medal that was passed over. Makes sense. (Thanks again to Mike Quigley!)

[JapanX]

Yes, indeed Peterson wrote about following variations

1) variation with gold gilt instead of silver one on obverse

or (???!!!)

2) with a different style of characters on reverse (obviously our specimen has 1) + 2) features ... No place for "or")

or

3) with "commemorative" instead of "merit" on reverse

or

4) with blank reverse

or

5) entirely black lacquered (only reverse?)

or

6) entirely silvered (only reverse?)

All these were labeled as "samples" ... (actually I believe that the right word should be "trial medals"/"пробники")

The only question who labeled them...

My guess our fellow collectors

Where did they get this info?

Some additional thoughts

1) trial medal has ribbon! and this ribbon has "incorrect" order of national colors

2) trial medal has high quality box with gold gilded inscription!!!

3) according to Peterson we have 6 (or 5?) different trial medals... Too many "trials"? And if they are "in collections" how many of them were manufactured?

But then again National Foundation Medal was the very first Manchu Medal...

And there is a probability that these are indeed high quality trial medals.

Also there is a probability that these were (at least some of them) contemporary souvenirs manufactured in Japan as mementos

Cheers,

Nick

[Petro]

hi i have those two Manchukuo medals , one is gold gilded , and the second one is bit diferent the bow is not usually there on this type of medal  if iam right

[JapanX]

Please show the reverses. 

[Petro]

one is silver and second one is silver gold plated 

[JapanX]

Unfortunately both are doctored version of the normal medal and they are hanging from the wrong ribbon (replica ribbon for great east-asia war medal)

This one is much more promising.

The case is the wrong one (from the red cross medal).

I`d like to see the reverse 

 

Edited August 3, 2016 by JapanX

[Petro]

 

this is reverse 

the silver and silver gilted medal can't be medals of merit ?

[JapanX]

Thanks!

Interesting medal, Petro  

[Petro]

i thank you for your help