Japan, Empire. Three Japanese Red Cross Society Medals

Instituted in 1888. Men's Special Membership Medal (in silver, measuring 29.5 mm in diameter, large rosette on its original ribbon with hook and eye, accompanied by a 23 mm (w) x 13 mm (h) ribboned stickpin, in its hardshelled case of issue, the exterior with a black lacquer finish, balsa wood frame, gilt characters on the lid, the inside of the lid lined in violet satin and padded, the recessed medal bed in violet felt); Men's Life Membership Medal (in silver, measuring 29.5 mm in diameter, light blue rosette on its original ribbon with hook and eye, in its hardshelled case of issue); and Women's Membership Medal (in aluminum, measuring 29.2 mm in diameter, on its bow-tied ribbon with pinback, accompanied by a 27.3 mm (w) x 12.5 mm (h) ribboned stickpin, in its hardshelled case of issue). Ranging from near very fine to near extremely fine.

Footnote: The forerunner of the Japanese Red Cross Society, the Hakuaisha (Philanthropic Society) was founded in 1877 by Court Tsunetami Sano, to help those who were wounded in the Satsuma Rebellion earlier that year. Japan signed the Geneva Convention in 1886 and in the following year, the Hakuaisha changed its name to the JapaneseRed Cross Society (Nippon Sekijujisha). It was recognized as such by the International Committee on the Red Crosson September 2, 1887. The medal was established in 1888 and comes in five classes: Member, Special Member, Life Member, Golden Special Member and Honorary Member.