drclaw Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Gents, JCwaters, Paul Wood and I have been working to identify some medals that have turned up as part of a large Chinese collection. These two have us stumped and JC pointed out that the inscription style is very similar to that found on Japanese medals. I've looked through Peterson and these aren't listed. The figures appear to me those used in relation to sporting (or even Olympic) commemorative medals. This is a long shot but one medal is marked 1924 (the year of the Paris Olympics) while the other is marked 1930 (the year of the X Olympic Congress in Berlin attended by some 41 delegates according to the IOC website). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drclaw Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drclaw Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_07_2012/post-11630-0-26760700-1343775792.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_07_2012/post-11630-0-97080800-1343775825.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fukuoka Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 1st medal: The reverse reads 'Keijou [seoul] Pharmacy School Vocational School, School [?] Association, Athletic Meet.' (京城薬学校専門学校校？会) The ribbon doesn't appear to be original. 2nd medal: Not sure but maybe this: 'Sapporo Railroad Instructors, Debate Meet.' The last phrase is confirmed; the first three characters read 札[幌]Sapporo / 鉄[道] Railroad / 教[員]Instructors. Cannot be sure about that interpretation. Actually, it seems wrong... Sapporo Teacher's College may be what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fukuoka Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Not sure why the Japanese characters didn't appear in the last post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunjinantiques Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Top line: KEIJOU YAKUGAKU SENMONGAKKOU KOUYUUKAI (Keijou Pharmaceutical Vocational School Friends Association). Center line: TAIIKUBU (Athletic Club). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunjinantiques Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_07_2012/post-11630-0-26760700-1343775792.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_07_2012/post-11630-0-97080800-1343775825.jpg That bottom medal is tough. I can figure each kanji out by itself but they make no real sense when put together. If Rich isn't correct, he's probably pretty close. Another way to read it would be top to bottom, right to left, which it would be KYOUBU (something to do with education), TETSUSEN (iron & something to do with method) and SATSUBEN (satsu has something to do with money and ben is something to do with language dialect). Most of these have various readings but the meanings are pretty much the same. Reading this right to left, up to down, or left to right it doesn't make much sense in Japanese and it's only from 1924. Unless it was for such a small local event that only those involved would know what it means. And I bet you thought the top one was going to be the hard one. Lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drclaw Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 Rich and John, I knew you'd deliver the goods! Many thanks. JCwaters was spot on - these are Japanese (or Korean) medals, and it seems non-government, privately commissioned pieces. And there I was tearing my hair out trying to translate it in Mandarin ... As to how they appeared into a Chinese collection remains a mystery but we have also uncovered what appears to be an Annam Kim Khanh in the collection as well. A beer to you both. :beer: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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