Claspless Spring Loaded Plastic (?) Cases for Rising Suns and Sacred Treasures

[TracA]

Greetings,

 

In my collection I have two claspless, spring loaded what I believe to be plastic cases. When fully opened the lid stays up. One is for a Rising Sun 8th Class and the other is for a Sacred Treasure 7th Class. The Rising Sun had the ヒ (hi) hallmark and the Sacred Treasure had the M mintmark, so I am almost certain that the decorations that came in the cases were not issued in those cases. I say this because Medals of Asia puts the former mark at the mid-1910s to early 1920s and the latter mark at 1930 to 1943, and I have lots of orders roughly dated to the 20s, 30s, and 40s and none of them have claspless, spring loaded cases. If such cases came from those time periods, then I think that they would be much more prevalent in the marketplace, but I do not find them to be very prevalent.

 

My two examples both have the “Showa” stylization of 勲 (kun) on the lid and gold kanji. Medals of Asia puts the “more or less stable transition” from silver kanji back to gold kanji as sometime in 1958.

 

My sample size is horribly miniscule, but I am going to venture to guess that these claspless, spring loaded plastic cases came into use sometime after 1958.

 

Can anyone provide more information on these cases, such as (1) the time coordinates of their use; (2) whether they were used for just the lowest two classes of decorations or if they were also used for higher classes; (3) whether they were used for the Honor Medal, etc.?

 

Thank you.

 

Some pictures below.

 

Tracy

 

Lids:

 

 

Front seam, claspless:

 

 

Rear hinge on one of the cases. As one can imagine this looks somewhat different than the rear hinge on a non-spring loaded case with a clasp. I wanted to take a side-by-side photo but alas, I do not have a Rising Sun 8th (or 7th) Class or a Sacred Treasure 7th (or 8th) Class in a non-spring loaded case with the “Showa” stylization of 勲 (kun) and gold kanji.

 

[No one]

Dear TracA,

 

I think they are made of Bakelite, imitating lacquer ware. They are post-WWII, when the Japanese started to award decorations again. I don't have the answers for the other questions.

 

Yours sincerely,

No one

Edited May 12 by No one

[TracA]

Thank you, No One. I too thought that they were Bakelite. They are clearly not wood, given the sound that they make when you let the force of the spring slam them shut. Not that I've done that often; don't want to damage anything. 😃

 

All the best,

 

Tracy 

[No one]

Dear TracA,

 

I have for the Order of the Rising Sun one 8th class and two 7th classes.

One of the 7th classes is not enameled on the reverse.

 

 

- 8th class:

 

 

 

 

-  7th class no enameled reverse:

 

 

 

 

-  7th class enameled reverse:

 

 

 

 

And one Order of the Sacred Treasure 7th class:

 

 

 

 

I examined the Honor Medal cases, and it seems that all of them have clasps. Even the recent ones.

 

平成二十五年四月二十九 / 29/04/2017:

 

 

Yours sincerely,

No one

[TracA]

No One,

 

Thank you. More data points, although I often believe that the cases in which I receive the medals that I purchase might simply be "throw togethers" either by the seller or the seller before the seller. That was clearly the case in my two examples above. I would say the same for your single sided enamel Rising Sun 7th Class. Would you agree? I believe that I have read that those are attributed to sometime during WW II.

 

All the best,

 

Tracy

[No one]

Dear TracA,

 

" I would say the same for your single sided enamel Rising Sun 7th Class. Would you agree? I believe that I have read that those are attributed to sometime during WW II."

 

I always wonder if this 7th class was a WWII one.

 

According to James W.Peterson, I quote "... and a few of those made by private firms during Worl War II have no enamel on the reverse." But mine is 'super' mint, brand-new I might say. So I thought that maybe, when the Japanese started to award this 7th class again they discontinued to make them with reverse enamel, because it was cheaper to make them. I only bought one of this but I saw a few of them always in mint condition with this type of case. So thinking they were more modern I never bother to buy more. I really like the one enameled on both side.

 

Actually I thought that the one with the revers enameled was the one "throw togethers".

 

But you may be right, I really don't know.

 

Yours sincerely,

No one

[TracA]

No One,

 

Interesting hypothesis. If you've seen a few single sided enameled 7th Class Rising Suns always in claspless cases, then that adds some weight to your hypothesis.

 

I currently have some thoughts going through my head about this, but I need some time to work them up. I'll post again in this thread later this week.

 

All the best,

 

Tracy

[archie777]

Hi there,

 

I saw the following Japanese awards for sale on our BOBShop

 

I love the medals, but unfortunately don't have space to go further with overseas awards

 

Regards

Archie

 

 

[archie777]

More on BOB Shop

[archie777]

The last one on BobShop

[archie777]

Saw excellent Japanese awards on our SA bobshop today

[archie777]

More on Bobshop

[archie777]

More on Bobshop

[archie777]

The last on Bobshop

[TracA]

Archie,

 

Some nice stuff for sure.

 

All the best,

 

Tracy

[TracA]

Hello No One,

 

I’ve finally come back to this thread.

 

I’ve searched GMIC and done a little digging on the War Relics Forum. It appears that the consensus is that Peterson was incorrect when he stated that the single sided enameled Rising Sun 7th Classes were made during WW II. Rather, the consensus is that these particular decorations were made sometime after WW II. 

 

In his outstanding “Story of the Golden Kite” thread on the War Relics Forum Nick Komiya (RIP) states that the last Kosho (prize-given/awards) for Japan’s war dead continued until sometime in 1947 and then there was a 17 year halt in such. The Kosho was picked up again sometime in 1964 (post on 05-15-2017, 11:03 PM at https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/japanese-militaria/story-golden-kite-671453-5/.

 

I am going to assume something here for which I do not have evidence, namely, that no new Rising Sun 7th Classes were minted between the end of WW II and the last Kosho in 1947. With that assumption, and what appears to be a consensus that single sided enameled Rising Suns are post-WW II and can sometimes (often?) be found in bakelite claspless cases, then I would put bakelite claspless cases with gold kanji inscriptions at 1964 or sometime after. This, I acknowledge, corresponds to what you stated in your May 11 post above. 

 

All the best.

 

Tracy

[No one]

Dear TracA,

 

Thank you for your research, and the confirmation of what I thought.

My belief remains that the Bakelite cases and single-sided enameled Rising Sun 7th classes were a cost-saving measure implemented to minimize expenses.

 

"...  single sided enameled Rising Suns are post-WW II and can sometimes (often?) be found in bakelite claspless cases  ..."

In my case, always.

 

Yours sincerely,

No one

[TracA]

Thank you, No One. Your pronouncement that in your experience single sided enameled Rising Suns always come in a claspless, Bakelite case is an important data point. Also, I agree with you that such cases and only a single side of enamel were cost saving measures. 

 

Enjoy.

 

Tracy

Edited May 21 by TracA
Word correction and word added