2nd class Merit Badge of Japan Seafarers Relief Association/日本海員掖済会二等有功章

1st variation "dark blue enamel" manufactured in pure silver.

Obverse

貮等有功章 - 2nd class Merit Badge

日本海員掖済會 - Japan Seafarers Relief Association

Such badges have three marks.
"Japanese flag"+ "純銀 - pure silver" + "1000 inside a rhombus".

Reverse

Anchor.

Original case.

貮等有功章 - 2nd class Merit Badge

日本海員掖済會 - Japan Seafarers Relief Association

 

2nd variation "dark blue enamel".

Unmarked.

Details.

Case.

 

3rd variation "transparent turquoise enamel".

Unmarked silver. Case has silver kanji which indicates 1938+ time period https://asiamedals.info/threads/sil...on-the-lids-of-the-japanese-order-cases.26112

Original case.

Another example of 3rd variation badge.

Beautiful color of enamel.

Cased 3rd variation in mint condition.

 

3rd variation badge.

Case with silver inscription.

 

4th variation "opaque turquoise enamel" in light aluminium alloy made by Tokyo Medal Works.

Case lid has silver inscription. Lower overall quality of the badge.

Details.

 

5th variation "opaque turquoise enamel" 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/

 

Another example of 5th variation.

Details.

Case.

Full set with rarely survived outer cardboard case.

 

6th variation.

Stamp and enamel differences from 4th variation. The easiest way to detect stamp differences will be by using geometry of the kanjis.​

Weight 23.1 g.

 

7th variation "late war bakelite" made by Tokyo Medal Works.

Plastic instead of metal and silver 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

Original case dated November 1944.

 

Case variation.