1876, "Old Koban" 2 sen olive, pair from the lower left corner of the sheet, tied by duplex with type KB1 "Yokohama -.8.4" cds, affixed over previously applied "Old Koban" 4 sen green with sheet margin at base, which was tied by small framed "Insufficiently prepaid or paid on delivery" handstamp, on inbound 1879 U.S. 3c postal stationery envelope to Tokyo, reverse showing "New York Jun 25 F. D." cds on dispatch and "Yokohama Aug 4 1879" in transit. The envelope, belonging to the Bingham correspondence, was sent from New York to Tokyo and forwarded to Yokohama, placed into the Shinbashi railway letter box with framed handstamp in red at lower left on obverse. The U.S. 3c was insufficient for foreign mail to Japan, consequently it was taxed with "T" within circle, blue crayon "10" and 4 sen postage due collected from the addressee and represented in the "Due/4" marking on front. (Image)

1876, "Old Koban" 4 sen bluish green, well centred, an extremely fine single franking on circular printed matter tied by superb strike of early large foreign mail "Yokohama May 19 Japan" cds, endorsed "Via America" and sent to Mr Duplay-Balay Lyons/France, blurred strike of red french entry datestamp of 24 June 1878 on front. Inside receivers note mentioning sender Siber & Brennwald, a renowned Swiss company. (Image)

1876, "Old Koban" 5 sen light brown, a very fine single franking tied by early large foreign mail "Nagasaki Apr 15 12. M." cds, neatly struck, on cover to New York showing slongside "Yokohama Apr 23 Paid All" cds in red and "San Francisco May 14 Paid All" cds in purple, New York backstamp of 21 May. Carried via the PMSS "Japan". Very fine. (Image)

1877, "Old Koban" 10 sen blue, two covers from Yokohama to Lyon, France, paying the rate to France from 1st April 1876 to 19 June 1877. Both bearing attractive single frankings and endorsed "p. Oceanic", carried via United States and tied by mute cancel, with alongside postmarks including red "Yokohama Paid All Feb 10" and blue Brest entry cds also tying the franking in one cover, the the other with violet trial type "Yokohama Japan Aug 16 1878" cds and red French entry. A superb duo. Note: Both covers originate from the March-September 1878 period of Yokohama post office foreign mail cancels, when no specific types are known. Covers from this period are in general rather scarce. (Image)

1877, "Old Koban" 10 sen blue, an upper right corner-sheet pair, on double rate cover endorsed "Pr. Oceanic" to Lyon, France, cancelled by deteriorated "four bar" type cancel (Nishino 1985 p. 21), additionally tied by "Yokohama May 19 Paid All" cds in red. Blue French entry below, transit of San Francisco on front, French transit and arrival backstamps. The cover dates from the March-September 1878 period of the Yokohama foreign mail cancels, where no specific types are known; covers from this period are scarce. (Image)