1872, 1/2 sen brown, plate 1, pelure wove paper, block of four with sheet margin at top, position 3-4 / 11-12, rich shade and exhibiting an exceptionally good centring, unused without gum as issued, in extremely fine quality. (JSCA ¥200,000; Michel 5Ibx €1,360). (Image)

1872, 1/2 sen brown, plate 1, group of four singles including three unused and a spectacular sheet corner example from position 8 on brittle laid paper, the other two on pelure wove paper with one from position 26, exhibiting incomplete leg of the dragon at right, and a fine used showing the spectacular "curve line retouched" plate flaw of position 27. (Michel 5Iay, 5Ibx). (Image)

1872, 1/2 sen brown, plate 1, position 13, tied by early-non-standard framed "Torrori / kensa"postmark to official wrapper front to Hachiya, Hoki province, showing red "2nd class / Tottori postal bureau" handstamp alongside. Official cachet "Tottori Prefecture" of the sender at top right. One stamp is missing, this probably being a 1 sen to make up the 1 1/2 sen rate for official printed matters. Very fine. Cert. Philatelic Federation of Japan (2015). (Image)

1872, 1/2 sen brown, plate 1, vertical pair from positions 13-21, in combination with 1875 "Cherry Blossom" 2 sen yellow "ribbon", all tied by two strikes of Kiban i-he 7 of Takasago (Harima province) to reverse of inland cover, alongside showing type KG "Takasago -.1.4" (4 January, ca. 1876/77) double circle. Envelope with upper left corner clipped, not affecting the very fine franking. A very late and most rare usage of the Perforated Dragon issue cancelled by a "kiban" postmark. Note: Franked at 2 sen basic letter rate and extra 1 sen, paying the supplementary fee for delivery to places outside the normal circuit of the post office, the so called “inconvenience rate” of the tariffs of Meiji 6.4.1 (1 January 1873). (Image)

1872, 1/2 sen dark brown, plate 2, ductile paper of 88 microns, position 40, usual centring and strong impression, unused without gum. A very rare stamp being unrecorded in used condition. (JSCA ¥350,000). (Image)

1872, 1/2 sen reddish brown, plate 2, brittle laid paper, position 1, perforation 9 at left and top, showing part of the upper sheet margin, cancelled by large "Kensazumi" type with place name. Trimmed from the sheet at right and top showing most of the design intact; except for a minute thin spot, very fine and scarce. (Image)

1872, 1/2 sen olive brown, plate 2, brittle thick wove paper of 78 microns, centred to lower right and deep shade, showing blue non-standard "Ken" fancy cancel of Tokyo. (JSCA ¥100,000). (Image)

1872, 1/2 sen reddish brown and olive-brown, plate 2, an interesting group of five examples, including three unused with better perforation or paper varieties, as well as two used, of which one presumably used together with "Cherry Blossom" 1 sen cherry on native paper, both cancelled by early non-standard postmark of Fukaya. Mostly very fine. (Michel 5IIax, 5IIby). (Image)

1872, 1 sen dark blue, plate 1, position 25, very thick wove paper of 124 micron thickness, centred to upper left, possessing original gum. Small thin spot confined to the top right corner, of little significance for this extremely rare stamp. Cert. Florian Eichhorn BPP (2023) Only two examples have been so far recorded on this exceptionally thick wove paper of more than 100 microns. (JHES ¥1,000,000). Provenance: Shirai Tsugumi. (Image)

1872, 1 sen blue, plate 1, brittle laid paper, two used examples, positions 13 and 24, usual centring, both cancelled by framed early non-standard postmark "ken" of Tokyo. The latter affected by small hole at top left, otherwise fine. (JSCA ¥900,000; Michel 6Iy, €7800). (Image)

1872, 1 sen deep dull blue, plate 1, position 16, an outstanding example with sheet margin at right, better centring than usual, tied by framed non-standard "Ken" cancel of Tokyo in blue to local cover front, showing black "Shiba Mishima Kariyakusho" (Shiba Mishima temporary branch office) postmark alongside, together with Tokyo datestamp in blue reading "(year of) Water Monkey (Meiji 5)", as well as framed "Afternoon Delivery" handstamp in red confirming the Tokyo inner-city delivery, all these postmarks being partly struck. Cert. Florian Eichhorn BPP (2023). At most ten covers bearing this stamp are believed to exist (only six according to Yamada), irrefutably being the scarcest "Dragon" stamp on cover after the 500 mon plate 2. This example is further enhanced by being one of two recorded covers with the Shiba-Mishima postmark (unique in private hands). (JSCA for complete cover ¥3,500,000). Note: The 1 sen postage paid the double inner-city tariff (1/2 sen for each 2 momme), which was introduced in Tokyo on Meiji 5.3.1 (8 April 1872). Shiba-Mishima was a temporary branch of Tokyo Shibaguchi. This cover can be dated in the 7th or 8th Moon, as the "Shiba-Mishima" temporary branch post office was only opened at this location during these two months. The other cover recorded with Shiba-Mishima postmark is located in the Mitsui Bunko Foundation Museum (see "Mails in the 19th century" by Tejima-Sawa-Asami on pages 112-113, fig. 136). (Image)

1872, 1 sen blue, plate 2, printed on pelure wove paper, pair from positions 18-19, the former showing pos. 18 showing the famous "right dragon´s arm missing" plate variety, original gum. Very slight tone spots on reverse only mentioned for accuracy. Very scarce and desirable. (JSCA ¥194,000+). (Image)

1872, 1 sen blue, plate 2, group of seven examples including six unused without gum as issued and one used. The unused group featuring pos. 5 with "sen stroke missing" (corner with tear), pos. 26 with right dragon´s head retouched, and a block of four from pos. 15-16 / 23-24; the used example is represented by pos. 18 showing "claw missing of right dragon" variety cancelled by blue "ken" type of Tokyo. Fine. (JSCA ¥535,000; Michel €4,550). (Image)

1872, 1 sen dull blue, plate 2, position 24, brittle laid paper, a very fine example paying the single weight up to 25 ri distance (2nd rate period, Meiji 4.12.5-6.3.31), tied by early non-standard intaglio "Sakai" (in katakana syllabics) cancel to reverse of small western-style envelope to Saikyo (opened for display), alongside showing red framed early-non standard "Settsu / Sakai postal receiving and handling ageny" handstamp, on front red "(year of) Water Monkey 8th Moon 13th Day / Saikyo P. O.” (Gregorian 15 September 1872) on arrival. A rare usage on western style envelope. (Image)

1872, 1 sen blue, plate 2, tied by large "Saikyo Kensazumi" postmark on reverse of cover to Osaka, exhibiting framed “Saikyo Post Office (year of) Water Monkey 6th Moon 9th Day” (Gregorian 14 July 1872) on reverse, where also the circular framed “hakoba” (mail deposit place) “Muro” postmark of Muromachi was applied, framed unclear arrival of Osaka "10th day" on front. Cover opened out for display. A rare and desirable franking. (JSCA ¥300,000). (Image)

1872, 1 sen deep dull blue, thick brittle laid wove paper of 73 microns, position 14, showing three full frame lines and part of neighbouring stamp at base, cancelled by type N1B1K "Iwashiro Fukushima Meiji 7.8..." (August 1875) cds. Very fine. A highly desirable example on this very rare paper. (JSCA ¥1,150,000; Michel 6IIIx €9,000). (Image)

1872, 1 sen deep dull blue, thick wove paper of 73 microns, plate 3, position 21, fresh impression, better centred than usual with complete margins, barely touched in upper right corner, cancelled by early irregular framed "Ken" (inspected) postmark of Tokyo. A very fine example of the rarest used plate and paper of this denomination. (JSCA ¥1,150,000). (Image)

1872, 1 sen deep dull blue, thick brittle laid wove paper of 73 microns, position 5 featuring "sen stroke missing" variety, usual centring, cancelled by part of large kensazumi handstamp. Small tear at top left. A very rare stamp printed on this paper (JSCA ¥1,150,000; Michel 6IIIx). (Image)

1872, 1 sen deep dull blue, plate 3, thick brittle laid wove paper of 73 microns, position 7, cancelled by head portion of large Kensazumi "Yoko(hama)" postmark, usual centring. Few small thin spots and two pinholes. A highly desirable example on this very rare paper. (JSCA ¥1,150,000; Michel 6IIIx €9,000). (Image)

1872, 1 sen blue, plate 3, two examples from position 23 and 30 used as postage dues, and 2 sen vermilion applied on dispatch, position 36, this tied by early non-standard "ken" (inspected) postmark of Tokyo, on cover from Tokyo via Okitsu to Shimizu, both in Suruga province. On obverse the two 1 sen examples were applied as postage due and tied by red brush strokes (as usual when franked with this purpose), alongside displaying framed “(year of) Water Monkey. 8th Moon 22nd Day / Tokyo P. O.” (Gregorian 24 September 1872) datestamp and large "fusoku" (Insufficient) marking in red. The 2 sen with perforation faults at top, although the important 1 sen plate 3 are in fine condition. Cover opened up for display. Cert. Philatelic Federation of Japan signed by chairman Prof. Sawa Mamoru (2012). The "Dragon" 1 sen plate 3 is a remarkable rarity on cover. Note: The 2 sen paid the single weight of the 2nd rate period (Meiji 4.12.5-6.3.31) up to 50 ri distance. Nevertheless, it was not fully paid since Shimizu had no post office before Meiji 6, so a courier from the nearby Okitsu post office was required to forward mail to Shimizu, by additionally charging 1 sen. In this letter the additional 1 sen fee was missing and it was charged with two 1 sen examples, in order to pay twice the initially unpaid amount. Provenance: Robson Lowe auction, 28.1.1970, lot 1180 (Image)

1872, 2 sen vermilion, brittle laid paper, block of four with corner sheet margins from lower right, positions 31-32 / 39-40, refulgent colour, usual centring for the second issue with two frame lines touched or slightly into, unused without gum as issued. A very fine, attractive and rare positional multiple. (JSCA ¥420,000). (Image)

1872, 2 sen vermilion, three examples including two unused without gum, one printed on brittle laid paper from position 1 with sheet margins, the other on pelure wove paper from position 18; the third example used with fancy cancellation of Tokyo and from position 8, with "dot missing in character" plate flaw. Mixed condition. (Image)

1872, 2 sen vermilion, brittle laid paper, position 26, strikingly radiant colour and usual centring with frame touched on two sides, tied to piece by "head portion" of large "Seki Eki Kensazumi" framed postmark. A most desirable strike of this cancellation. (JHES ¥120,000+). (Image)

1872, 2 sen vermilion, two singles on cover from Tokyo to Yokkaichi, Ise province, tied by early non-standard framed "ken" (inspected) postmarks, with black framed “(year of) Water Monkey 9th Moon 21th Day / Tokyo P. O.” (Gregorian 3 October 1872) datestamp and red "9th moon 24th day/Yokkaichi Station Postal Receiving and Handling Agency" (Gregorian 6 October 1872) datestamp alongside. The lower stamp with rounded corner at top top right, otherwise fine. (JSCA ¥600,000). Note: The 4 sen rate paid corresponded to the single weight for a letter up to a distance of 200 ri (Meiji 4.12.5 to Meiji 6.3.31). Provenance: Cherrystone 25 May 2021, lot 704 (Image)

1872, 5 sen bluish green, brittle laid paper, overprinted "Mihon" (specimen), exceptionally well centred. Opinion F. Eichhorn BPP (2014). (JSCA ¥90.000). (Image)