Japan, Empire. An Imperial Time Expired Soldiers League Basic Member's Badge

(Teikoku Zaiko Gunjin Kai). Two-piece construction, gilt star mounted to a silver base, obverse featuring the symbol of the organization: the army cap badge star and crossed swords over a fouled anchor, all within a shield, measuring 18 mm (w) x 27 mm (h), vertical pinback, light contact, near extremely fine. In its balsa wood box of issue, gilt characters on the lid, maker stamped on the bottom, box also near extremely fine.

Footnote: An Imperial order founded the Imperial Time Expired Soldiers League in 1910, as an organization for improving the military effectiveness of the Japanese nation following the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 and the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. The nationwide organization was originally only for soldiers, but in 1914 a naval branch was formed and sailors were admitted for the first time. The Imperial Time Expired Soldiers League was made a sub department under the Army and Navy Ministries.