Item number: M116

Year: AD 1944-2000s

Material: Tin

The results after XRF testing

Size: case 103.6 x 55.2 x 25.0 / medal 30.4 x 78.0 x 2.3 mm

Weight: 33.55 g

Provenance: Private Collector, Taiwan, 2022

This medal, known as the “Great East Asia War Medal,” was established on June 21, AD 1944, by Imperial Japanese Decree No. 417 under Emperor Showa. It was intended to be awarded to individuals who participated in the Greater East Asia War. However, due to the worsening situation of the war, the medal was ultimately not issued, and its primary recipients remain uncertain. Alongside other decorations like the China Incident War Medal, this medal was officially abolished in AD 1946. It is presented in a black lacquer case with gilt lettering.

The appearance of this item is that of a circular tin medal. On the obverse side, it features two intersecting swords, a radiant eight-pointed star, and a chrysanthemum emblem (symbolising the Japanese imperial family) at the centre, surrounded by cherry blossom motifs.

The reverse side bears a shield-shaped pattern with the inscription “Greater East Asia War” in Japanese kanji calligraphy. The ribbon of the medal starts with purple and light blue stripes on each side, followed by dark green stripes, with light green in the middle. Additionally, the ribbon includes a nameplate with the inscription “War Service Medal” (從軍記章).

This medal was only produced in approximately ten thousand pieces. However, due to Japan’s defeat in the war, its moulds were destroyed, and it was declared void. Consequently, genuine specimens of this medal are extremely rare today, many of the specimens seen on the market are replicas manufactured after the war for commemorative purposes.

The Greater East Asia War refers to Japan’s military campaign in the Far East and Pacific theatres during World War II, now commonly referred to as the Pacific War. It began on December 7, AD 1941, when Japan launched a surprise attack on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbour, inflicting significant losses on the American Pacific Fleet and marking the beginning of the Pacific War. Subsequently, Japan embarked on a large-scale expansion campaign in the Pacific region, occupying various territories in Southeast Asia, Pacific islands, and additional territories in China.

However, as the war continued, the Allied forces, led by the United States, launched counteroffensives and gradually suppressed Japan’s power on the battlefield. As the war progressed, the Allies initiated a series of counterattacks against Japan’s occupation in the Pacific region, including a sequence of naval battles and island campaigns such as the Battle of Midway, the Battle of Guam, and the Battle of Iwo Jima. On August 6 and August 9, AD 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, marking the first and only use of nuclear weapons against civilian targets in history. The deployment of these atomic bombs resulted in massive destruction and casualties, forcing the Japanese government to face reality. Eventually, on August 15 of the same year, Japan announced unconditional surrender.

物件編號: M116

年代: 公元 1944-2000 年

材質: 錫

XRF分析結果

尺寸: 盒 103.6 x 55.2 x 25.0 / 獎章 30.4 x 78.0 x 2.3 mm

重量: 33.55 g

來源: 台灣私人收藏 2022

此枚獎章為昭和十九年(公元1944年)6月21日根據日本昭和天皇頒布的《敕令第四百一十七號》所授予的「大東亞戰爭從軍記章」，附有燙金字的黑色漆盒。由於戰局惡化，因此最終沒能頒布此獎章，目前仍無法確定此獎章主要的授予對象。公元1946年，該獎章與支那事變從軍記章等獎章一同被正式廢除。 

該物件的外觀為一枚圓形錫質獎章，獎章的正面由兩把相交的太刀、綻放的八芒星、以及位於中央的菊紋章(象徵日本皇室)組成，周圍有櫻花紋飾環繞。

背面則有盾形圖案，以日本楷書漢字刻有「大東亞戰爭」的字樣。該獎章的綬帶由兩側開始分別是紫、淺藍、深綠的細條，中間則為淺綠色。另外綬帶還掛有「從軍記章」字樣銘牌。 

這枚獎章僅製造了大約一萬枚左右。然而，由於日本在戰局中的敗退，不得不將其模具銷毀並遭到廢止。因此，這使得這枚獎章的真品現存非常稀少，市面所見多為戰後為紀念製造的複製品。 

大東亞戰爭為日本對第二次世界大戰時位於遠東和太平洋戰場的戰爭總稱(現多使用太平洋戰爭稱呼)，始於公元1941年12月7日，當時日本對美國海軍基地珍珠港發起襲擊，對美國太平洋艦隊造成了重大損失，成為了太平洋戰爭的開端。 接著，日本展開了對太平洋地區的大規模擴張行動，佔領了東南亞各地、太平洋島嶼和中國的更多領土。在此過程中，日本軍隊向各地的盟國進行了進攻，並迅速擴大了其在太平洋地區的勢力範圍。然而，隨著戰爭的持續，以美國為首的盟軍展開了反擊，並在戰場上逐漸壓制了日本的勢力。隨著戰爭的進行，盟軍對日本在太平洋地區的佔領展開了反攻其中包括了一系列的海戰和島嶼戰役，如米德島戰役、瓜島戰役和硫磺島戰役等 。 公元1945年8月6日和8月9日，美國在廣島和長崎投下了原子彈，這是歷史上第一次和唯一一次使用核武器對平民目標進行的攻擊。這些原子彈的投放造成了大規模的破壞和人員傷亡，迫使日本政府面對現實，最終在同年8月15日宣布無條件投降。