Remembering Michael Quigley Sr.

A Life of Collecting, Scholarship, and Community
‍The Japanese sword and military medal collecting communities lost a longtime friend and respected scholar when Michael Quigley passed away in November 29th, 2025.To those who knew him, Mike was far more than an avid collector. Over decades, he studied, documented, preserved, and generously shared the objects and history that fascinated him. His interests ranged from Japanese swords and Asian antiquities to military orders, medals, and Japanese military items. His impact lives on in reference books, collecting organizations, exhibitions, donations he made to museums and—most of all—in the friendships and knowledge he shared with fellow enthusiasts.As Mike’s remaining collections find new homes through a series of upcoming auctions, it is fitting to remember the thoughtful, curious, and generous man behind them.Mike was born in Brooklyn New York and grew up following his father’s assignments as an FBI agent in New Orleans, Dallas, Florida exposing him early to varied people, places, and cultures. Texas eventually became home: Mike spent 30 years in Dallas, followed by another 30 years in the San Antonio area.His fascination with history began at age 14 as he roamed the antiques stores in New Orleans. As a young collector, he was drawn to military artifacts—medals, decorations, helmets, and other memorabilia. What began as collecting gradually developed into serious scholarship. In time, Japanese swords became the defining passion of his life.

‍A Respected Contributor to the Military Medal Community
‍Mike was deeply involved with the Orders and Medals Society of America (OMSA) and the wider community of collectors and researchers devoted to military decorations.He was never simply an accumulator of medals. He studied their history, documented their variations, and contributed his knowledge to the literature of the field. His expertise was especially valuable in the study of Japanese, Korean Empire, and the Manchukuo Empire decorations.Objects from Mike’s collection provided important photographic material for James W. Peterson’s Orders and Medals of Japan and Associated States, Third Edition, published in 2000. That book remains an important English-language reference for collectors studying the orders, decorations, and medals of Japan and its associated states.By making his own examples available for study and publication, Mike helped preserve knowledge that could be shared well beyond the walls of his collection.

‍Japanese Swords: A Passion That Became a Legacy
‍Japanese swords ultimately became one of Mike’s central passions. His interest extended far beyond the blades themselves: he was drawn to the Swordsmiths, fittings, craftsmanship, military history, and traditions surrounding the Japanese sword.In the early 1970s, Mike joined fellow prominent collectors R.B. Caldwell, Keith Evans and David Pepper in organizing a landmark event in Dallas. Together, they helped arrange for the N.B.T.H.K. (Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords) to travel from Japan to conduct its first official sword appraisal, or shinsa, outside Japan.Japanese experts examined and appraised roughly 2,000 swords brought by enthusiastic American collectors, working extraordinarily long days throughout the event. For collectors in the United States, it was an unprecedented opportunity to learn directly from specialists who had devoted their lives to the study of Japanese swords.Mike helped make that connection possible—and helped bring the American and Japanese sword communities closer together.

‍Bringing the Community Together
‍Mike’s commitment to the sword world went well beyond his own collecting. For 15 years, he founded and hosted the Annual Japanese Sword Show, holding events in both Dallas and San Antonio.These shows became valued gathering places for collectors, dealers, researchers, and newcomers alike. Experienced enthusiasts could examine swords, fittings, and related art; dealers could meet clients; and researchers could exchange information and learn from one another. Just as importantly, people encountering Japanese swords for the first time could hold, examine, and begin to appreciate these remarkable works of art and history.The shows also offered visitors a connection to Japanese martial and sword culture through kendo demonstrations and sword-cutting tests. Many a Watermelon meet its demise at these demonstrations. For Mike, the events were never only about buying and selling. They were about welcoming people, sharing knowledge, and building community. That spirit introduced many people to the study and appreciation of Japanese swords. Annual Sword Show dinners were held at Mr. Sushi Restaurant in Addison, Texas to expose the food customs of Japanese food.

‍A Collection That Educated Others
‍Mike’s collection became part of the published record of Japanese military history as well. Material from his collection appears in Jim Dawson’s Swords of Imperial Japan 1868–1945: Cyclopedia Edition, including high-grade examples of rare World War II Japanese general-grade sword tassels and imperial belt buckles.These objects served as visual references for collectors and researchers studying Japanese military swords and their associated equipment. Mike understood that rare pieces could teach others something important when they were documented and shared.Rather than keeping exceptional objects known only to their owner, he made them available to authors, researchers, and fellow collectors working to preserve the history behind them.

‍A Collector’s Collection
‍Mike’s interests eventually extended well beyond swords and medals. His collections included Asian antiquities, Japanese military decorations, swords, sword fittings, and other historically significant objects.The breadth of his collecting reflected the way Mike understood history: objects are connected. A sword can tell the story of a military organization. A medal can illuminate an individual life. A buckle or sword tassel can reveal rank, status, or service. An Asian antique can open a window onto another culture and era.

‍For Mike, collecting was a way to preserve those stories.The Next Chapter
‍With Mike’s passing, the remaining pieces from his collection will now begin a new chapter. Upcoming auctions will be held during the last few months of 2026 through Lark Mason / IGavel.com and Emedals.com that will offer the genral public and collectors the opportunity to acquire these exquisite Japanese swords, Asian antiquities, military medals, decorations, and related material that he spent 70 years of his life researching and preserving.For those who knew Mike, these auctions will carry special meaning. For those who did not, they offer an introduction to his life’s work through the remarkable objects he chose to collect, study, and share.Mike Quigley’s legacy is not measured solely by the exceptional objects that passed through his hands. It is measured by the scholarship he supported, the community he helped build, and the people whose lives were enriched by his generosity and enthusiasm.May his memory, knowledge, and love of Japanese swords, military medals, and Asian art continue to inspire collectors and students for generations to come.