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About the author Order of the Rising Sun
Date of institution: 12-Feb-1890
Awarded until: 1945
Class & Preview
Size
Obverse
Reverse
1st
76 x 81 mm.
Not avalaible
Not avalaible
2nd
91 mm. (diameter)
Not avalaible
Not avalaible
3rd
56 x 60 mm.
Not avalaible
Not avalaible
4th
46 x 50 mm.
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Show it!
5th
46 x 50 mm.
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Show it!
6th
42 x 57 mm.
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Show it!
7th
42 x 57  mm.
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The Order of the Golden Kite (Kinshi Kunsho) is the Japanese purely military award for bravery or leadership in campaign. It was awarded only to Japanese until General MacArthur occupation government prohibited  it in 1945, decision that was sanctioned by the Government Ordinance No. 4 of 1947. 

It represents a golden kite, messenger of the Gods, that  helped the Emperor Jimmu Tenno in defeating his enemies in a battle. The order shows two crossed ancient Samurai shields, dark-blue enameled, with two crossed swords enameled yellow with hilts in silver. There is a green-enameled halberd with trappings enameled white, with heraldic "mitsutomoe" devices on red banners. This imposing set is surmounted by a golden kite on a star of eight points of 32 rays enameled in red. Reverse is plain, showing four rivets used to attach the shields. There are few variations on this design but for slight variations on the wingtips of the kite.

The description before is valid for 1st-5th class items. 7th and 8th classes are made of a single silver piece. The 6th class of the Golden Kite is silver-gilt, with the two sword hilts in silver. The 7th class is all silver, but with a gilt kite. These often very hard to tell apart, as the gilding on the 6th class is very light and often disappears under tarnishing.

Evolution of the Golden Kite

There were slight variations in Golden Kite form through its history. These changes are mainly on kite's head and wings. Here we depict two 7th class items, one of Meiji period (earlier) and another of Showa period (later).

Golden Kite Meiji period: low-drooping wings and stylized kite's face.

Golden Kite Showa period: wings upper feathers are shorter. Kite's neck and face look like shorter and wider.

The breast star is 91 mm. in diameter: in fact, the 2nd class badge is this star worn together with a 3rd class neck badge.

Ribbon is 37 mm. wide, watered, green with two 5 mm white stripes at 3 mm. of the edges.

1.067.492 awards were made, most of them in the two lower classes. Only 41 of the 1st grade and 201 of the 2nd have been awarded. Soldiers could be awarded with the 7th - 5th classes, NCOs the 6th - 4th, junior officers the 5th - 3rd, field grade officers the 4th-2nd and general officers the 3rd-1st.

This award is really expensive: there are dealers asking $200 for 6th/7th class items and $450 for a 5th class one.

Repro alert: this order has been very well faked recently in the US. There are other fakes that can be distinguished by the withe enamelled rays (which should be red).

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