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Commemorative Medal for the Second Anniversary
of the Provisional Government Of The Republic of China, Cupronickel
(Full Size)
中華民國臨時政府
成立二週年紀念章,白銅
(官方版)
Item number: M90
Year: AD 1939
Material: Cupronickel
Size: Case 76.15 x 46.95 x 16.43 / Medal 24.44 x 32.86 mm
Weight: Case 9.26 / Medal 8.67 g
Manufactured by: Dalian and Fengtian (Shenyang), Mori Yoko Workshop
Provenance: Quan Jian Zhai 2022
This item is a commemorative medal issued by the puppet government, the “Provisional Government of the Republic of China,” established by Japan in North China during the Sino-Japanese War, to celebrate the second anniversary of its establishment in AD 1939(28th year of the Republic of China).
The medal’s appearance is circular, and it exists in two versions distinguished by the materials used: cupronickel or silver. This item is the cupronickel version. The back of the wooden box bears the hallmark of the manufacturer, Mori Yoko, headquartered in Dalian and Fengtian (now Shenyang). This manufacturer was also contracted for medals in Manchukuo. On the obverse of the medal, the upper part showcases the Chinese national flag, commonly known as the five-color flag during the early period of the Republic of China, with the Chinese characters for “Commemoration” in the centre, surrounded by ears of wheat on both sides. The reverse side bears the inscription “Republic of China, Year 28, Commemorating the Second Anniversary of the Establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of China, December 14th.”
After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in AD 1937, China and Japan engaged into full-scale warfare. By the end of July of the same year, the key city in Northern China, Beiping (now Beijing), had fell under Japanese control. The Japanese forces controlling Beiping, known as the “North China Area Army,” approached Wang Kemin, who had previously served in the Beiyang government. On December 14, AD 1937, Wang Kemin and the puppet regime known as the “Republic of China Provisional Government” were established in Beiping, assisting the Japanese in controlling regions such as Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Beiping, and Tianjin. With the establishment of the “Wang Jingwei National Government,” a puppet regime supported by Japan, in Nanjing in AD 1940, the “Provisional Government” was reorganized into the “North China Political Affairs Committee” under Nanjing’s jurisdiction but retained practical autonomy until Japan’s defeat in AD 1945.