1st class Merit Badge of Japan Seafarers Relief Association/日本海員掖済会一等有功章

1st variation made by Tokyo Medal Works.

Badge from pre-1938 time period. Golden inscription on the case. High quality hot enamel. Badge in gilded silver.
Manufactured by Tokyo Medal Works https://asiamedals.info/threads/badges-of-tokyo-medal-works.22808/.

Obverse

壹等有功章 - 1st class Merit Badge

日本海員掖済會 - Japan Seafarers Relief Association


Anchor with flower in soft pink white enamel.

Original case.

Clasp.

東京徽章製 - made by Tokyo Medal.

 

Another of 1st class merit badge made by Tokyo Medal Works.

Flower has practically white enamel only slightly pinky along the edges.

Another 1st class from Tokyo Medal Works in deep patina.

Obverse

壹等有功章 - 1st class Merit Badge

日本海員掖済會 - Japan Seafarers Relief Association


Anchor with flower in soft pink white enamel.

Original case.

 

2nd variation.

Badge from 1938+ time period. Case has silver inscription https://asiamedals.info/threads/sil...on-the-lids-of-the-japanese-order-cases.26112
Badge in ungilded silver /or high quality silver plated/.

Obverse

壹等有功章 - 1st class Merit Badge

日本海員掖済會 - Japan Seafarers Relief Association

Anchor.

Original case (was slightly damaged).

 

Another 1st class badge of 2nd variation from the same manufacturer.
Slight enamel differences.

Details.

 

3rd variation.

Lower overall quality of the badge (made in silvered base metal). Lacquered case has silver inscription.

Another cased example.

 

4th variation made by Tokyo Medal Works.

It has same features as 3rd variation but obverse has stamp differences and case has different color of kanji (this is how inscription looks like after all silvering is gone/erased).
By stamp badge is identical to badges manufactured by Tokyo Medal Works https://asiamedals.info/threads/badges-of-tokyo-medal-works.22808/.

This how silver inscription looks li

 

5th variation in light aluminium alloy made by Tokyo Medal Works.

Paulownia case with silver inscription, badge made in light aluminium alloy (made by same stamp as 4th variation).

Label of Tokyo Medal Works https://asiamedals.info/threads/badges-of-tokyo-medal-works.22808/

 

Set awarded on May 21, 1943.

 

1st variation in silver vs. 5th variation badge.

 

6th variation "late war bakelite" made by Tokyo Medal Works.

Plastic instead of metal and gold paint instead of enamel. Note that the orientation of inscriptions was also changed as well as the name of the association. Instead of 日本海員掖済會 - Japan Seafarers Relief Association (on the badge obverse and on the case lid) we now observe 日本海員掖済援護會 - Japan Seafarers Relief Support Association.

Obverse

壹等有功章 - 1st class Merit Badge

日本海員掖済援護會 - Japan Seafarers Relief Support Association

Details.

Label of Tokyo Medal Works https://asiamedals.info/threads/badges-of-tokyo-medal-works.22808/

 

Another example.

 

Case variation.