Requisitioned Worker Merit Badge

[TracA]

Greetings,

 

I was lucky to obtain this wonderful badge at auction, although the auction house grossly misidentified it. I am certain that my badge is the one pictured by Gordon Craig in his September 12, 2023 post on this forum in the Wound Badge Evolution thread (https://gmic.co.uk/topic/52144-wound-badge-evolution/page/25/#comments). His posting in that thread was solely a result of the auction house’s misidentification. We do trust these institutions to be accurate but alas, sometimes they are far from it.

 

Go to JapanX’s wonderful Medals of Asia website to learn much about this badge and the Requisitioned Worker Badge and patch. See https://asiamedals.info/threads/requisitioned-workers-badges-and-patches.23938/. Also see Nick Komiya’s thread on the War Relics Forum at https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/japanese-militaria/insignia-badges-requisitioned-workers-war-critical-industries-768981/.

 

The badge is 30mm x 30mm and the obverse is silver with black enameling and what looks to me to be red glass cabochon. In the foreground is a black enameled shield with a silver cherry blossom just above the center. The outline of the shield is silver. Two silver crossed swords are behind the shield and behind the entire design is a red rising sun with silver outlines. I believe that the red is not enameling, but rather red glass cabochon. The reverse is smooth and silver with the exception of a four stylized kanji inscription.

 

The fastener on the reverse is of a double pin construction. The pins on the reverse are hinged with a pin and they fit under two 7mm pieces of metal that are roundly bent down slightly on both sides. The pins and the hinge pin are gold color.

 

Question: as it is a merit badge I assume that it would have come in a lacquered case. Has anyone seen an example of a case?

 

It is a powerful looking badge, and attractive.

 

All the best,

 

Tracy

 

Obverse:

 

 

 

 

On the reverse on the right top to bottom is 應徵 for “Requisitioned” and on the left top to bottom is 有功 for “Merit”.

 

Edited October 14, 2023 by TracA
word edit

[No one]

Dear TracA,

 

Beautiful badge, well made.

 

 

Yours sincerely,

No one

[TracA]

No One,

 

Thank you, as always, for your representation of the seal script. I am unable to reproduce that.

 

Tracy