Japan: Japanese Inter-Allied Victory Medal 1914-1920, official issue.
Condition: Good Very Fine.
~
The idea of an inter-allied medal to commemorate victory in what was termed ‘The Great War for Civilisation’ is credited to the French Field-Marshal Foch. It was agreed that each of the Allies should issue a medal to their nationals featuring a figure representing ‘Victory’ on the front and have a symmetric double rainbow ribbon with red, the colour of courage and sacrifice at the centre, representing the colours of the allies flags and presenting an allegory of calm after storm. The Japanese medal substituted the legendary warrior Take-Mikazuchi-No-Kami , since a Victory figure would have had no significance for the Japanese. The medal bears the date ‘1920’ since Japanese action in Siberia, following the Russian Revolution, continued after the end of the war in Europe in 1918. The medal was designed by Masakichi Hata (1882-1966) and manufactured at the Osaka Mint during 1920
