Japanese Orders and Medals in Paper Wrappings

During first quarter of XIX century at least two Japanese private medal workshops used paper wrappings: Hirata workshop and Namikawa workshop.

"Made by mint" paper wraps first appeared somewhere around 1929. You will find them inside the cases for 1928 Showa Enthronement Medals.

1930 Imperial Capital Reconstruction Commemorative Medal.

Manchurian Incident.

China Incident, 2600th Anniversary of the Empire, etc.
What was original purpose of these wraps? If all these medals had original cardboard cases with inscriptions on the lids then why additional paper wraps?
Most likely these were used as intermediate packaging by mint. Intermediate in the sense that mint used these paper wraps for storing/transporting minted medals to the Decoration Bureau of the Cabinet Office or workshop that manufactured cardboard/lacquered cases. Very often (if not always) these wraps ended inside the cases for awards.

Nice example of the paper wrapper inside the case for 6th class Rising Sun.

 

But has Decoration Bureau ever issued orders and medals only with the paper wrappers (i.e. without cardboard or lacquered wood cases)?
Although late war awardings of orders/medals with paper wrapper are theoretically possible lion's share of such orders (that are currently found on the marked) belong to an unissued stock.
Like these 8th class Rising Suns for example.

"Straight from the warehouse".

Inside each wrapper order in mint condition.

 

Same story with these 7th class Rising Suns.

Note that they don`t have enamel on reverse.

Let's look at Kites and Treasures inside similar wrappers.

 

5th class Golden Kite.

In the right coner

金鵄 - Golden Kite [Order]

In the center

五級章 - 5th class order

In the left lower corner

造幣局製 - made by mint

Mint condition.

 

The reason for such mint condition is obvious - these orders were never awarded.

4th class Golden Kite.

 

6th class Golden Kite.



In the right corner

金鵄 - Golden Kite

In the center

六級章 - 6th class order

In the left lower corner

造幣局製 - made by mint

Again in mint condition .

 

5th class with very interesting paper wrapper.



Originally this paper wrapper was intended for the 8th class Sacred Treasure.

In the right coner

瑞寶 - Sacred Treasure

In the center

八級章 - 8th class order

In the left lower corner

造幣局製 - made by mint

Looks like there was a moment when they don`t even have enough paper wraps.
At least for the 5th class Kites.
So they simply added a rubber stamp under 瑞寶

金鵄章五級 - Order of Golden Kite 5th class




Again mint condition.

 

Similar "corrected" paper wrapper.

Originally it was intended for 8th class Rising Sun.

In the right corner

旭日 - Rising Sun

In the center

八等章 - 8th class order

In the left lower corner

造幣局製 - made by mint

But somebody decided to convert it into a wrapper for 7th class Sun.
He (or she) crossed with red pencil 八 eight and added a stamp

七等 - 7th class

And indeed inside the wrapper was 7th class Rising Sun in mint condition.

And not a standard one but without enamel on reverse.

 

New approach to "correction".

Most likely originally it was a paper wrapper for 8th class rising sun before somebody pasted piece of paper with stamped 六 six.

Now let's unfold it.

On the other side upside-down

八等章 - 8th class [Rising Sun] order


6th class Rising Sun with unaltered paper wrapper.

Stone mint.

 

Another Golden Kite order with "amended" paper wrapper.
This time they needed paper wrapper for 7th class Golden Kite order but had only paper wrapper for 5th class.
So somebody crossed 5th/五 and added 7th/七.

The order again in the mint condition.

Rosette.

 

3rd class in mint condition.





Another 3rd class with a paper wrapper and again in mint condition (cracks and chip of enamel but reverse polishing is completely intact).

 

Even China Incident War Medal sometimes found inside such wraps.

 

Very rare original paper wrapper for the China Incident Commemorative Medal.
Naturally 造幣局製 - made by mint in the left corner.

 

Another rare paper wrapper for the "KIA Next of Kin" (military bereaved family badge).



Note the terrible late war quality of the badge.

 

Now this is something special.
Looks like the inscription on this one was made by stencil.

 

6th class Kite + 7th class Rising Sun.





Mint!

 

But not only paper wrappers with "made by mint" in left the lower corner are known today.
Here comes a nice example (most likely this 5th class Rising Sun order was awarded in late 1960s/early 1970s).






旭5

where

旭 for 旭日 - rising sun

5 for 5th class order

Case.



Badge.

 

Paper wrapper for the 6th class Sacred Treasure without "made by mint".



Only two kanji

瑞六, where

瑞 for 瑞宝 - sacred treasure

六 for the 六等章 - 6th class order

 

7th class kite with the sandblasted reverse.

 

7th class Kite in paper wrapper that originally was intended for the 7th class 瑞寶 - Sacred Treasure.