British Post Office. 1875, Hong Kong QV 24c green tied by black "Y1" of Yokohama barred oval on envelope endorsed "per Geelong" to Dresden, Germany, additionally with "P.D." on front, on reverse "Yokohama A OC 4 75" cds, transit "Hong Kong OC 11 75" and arrival "Ausg 22 11 No. 1". Before November 1875, almost all recorded Yokohama treaty port covers bear a blue Y1 cancellation. From November 1875, igenerally the "Y1" cancellation is found in black ; this cover is not included in the Gurevitch census. In extremely fine condition. A very early usage in black of this dispatch postmark. Provenance: Knapp (Image)

British Post Office » Incoming Mail. 1869 (March 19) Entire letter from London to Nagasaki, franked by two singles and two pairs of 1858-76 2d blue pl. 12, tied by duplex datestamps on dispatch, with "Hong Kong My 6 69" cds on reverse. A very fine 1 shilling franking for the Southampton route (1861-1877). (Image)

1868 (July 17) Cover from London addressed to Bernard Eccard & Raud in Yokohama, franked by single and marginal strip of three of 1865-67 4d deep vermilion pl. 9, tied by "47" numerals, additionally by Calais transit, paying the 1s 4d rate, with blue London and "Yokohama 7 Sept. 68 Bau. Français" cds's on back. Mail from Great Britain is unusual with the arrival cds of the French P.O. in Yokohama, the Brühl or the "Magnolia" collection did not have any. (Image)

1872 (May 31) Cover from London to Yokohama, carried at double rate with 1871 3d rose pl. 7, two examples, and 1870 4d deep vermilion pl. 12, single, pair and strip of three, tied by London duplexes, backstamped in Hong Kong and Yokohama British cds's, the latter applied in blue. One of the most impressive frankings from the Raud correspondence. (Image)

1867-68 Trio of cover/entire letters from London addressed to western merchants in Yokohama, carried at 1s via Southampton and 1s 4d via French packet rates, with frankings including 1s single, 4d + 6d (2) and 2d + 4d (2) + 6d. Two items bearing very fine strikes of the French P.O. cds of Yokohama on reverse, the third struck in transit in Hong Kong. Mail from Great Britain is unusual with the arrival cds of the French P.O. in Yokohama, the Brühl or the "Magnolia" collection did not have any. A fine trio. (Image)

1872 (April 19) Envelope addressed to Major C.W. Burton in the Royal Marine Camp in Yokohama, paying the 1s 3d rate via Brindisi with 1871 3d rose pl. 7 and 1s green pl. 5, tied by "40" numeral within square with external bars cancel, with associated neat "Gravensend B Ap 19 72" dispatch cds at left. Very fine. (Image)

1869-74 Group of six covers or entire letters from London to Yokohama, originating from the Eccard & Raud correspondence, showing the 1s 3d, 1s 6d and the double 2s 8d rates. All with arrival cds of the British P.O. at Yokohama, in black or blue. In 1868 Joseph Raud joined the business of Bernard & Eccard, but in 1871 Mr. Raud founded his own merchant company, being active in trade until when he left Japan in 1877. One cover with corner torn off, otherwise very fine. (Image)

French Military Mail. 1876, Ceres 25c blue, tied by "CORR.D.ARM 28 Juin 1876 LIG. S PAQ. FR. No. 3" cds on cover to Bel-Air, Landerneau, France, with the same strike quite clearly struck adjacent, showing two French TPO transit backstamps and arrival on 16 August. Signed J. F. Brun and Calves. Note: Almost all covers bearing this rare military datestamp seem to originate from the Lefournier correspondence. This envelope certainly belongs to one of the most attractive. (Image)

French Post Office. 1870 mourning envelope from Yokohama to France, franked with Empire 80c rose tied by anchor diamond of dots with very rare octagonal "Yokohama / Paq. Fr. S. N°2" 13 NOV ds, which was used only between 1870 and 1871, carried by La Bourdonrais between Yokohama and Hong Kong, reverse with Marseille à Lyon TPO cds, small portion of backflap missing, very fine. (Image)

1878 "Écho du Japon" printed newspaper wrapper from Japan to Belgium at the printed matter 8c rate, franked with pair of Sage type 4c lilac-brown (Y&T 88) tied by "Yokohama Bau Francais" 7 OCT 78 cds, very fine and rare. (Image)

1875 envelope from Yokohama to France, with three-colour franking of Ceres perf. 5c yellow-green on blued paper, 80c rose and 15c bistre, tied by large numeral "5118" with corresponding 4 JANV 75 despatch, reverse with Marseille à Lyon TPO cds and Saint-Étienne (Loire) arrival cds, some blunt perfs on the 15c otherwise very fine; signed Calves. (Image)

French Post Office. 1872-78 Group of five covers to France (4) and Italy (1), bearing the "Cérès" issue and displaying different rates, including 40c, 1fr, 1fr20c and 2fr, with interesting departure postmarks associated with the "5118" numeral handstamp, including the scarce "Yokohama Japon" cds or the "Yokohama Bau. Français" tying the franking. An interesting and generally very fine lot. (Image)

1877, Large part of cover (Munier correspondence) to France via British packet, bearing Old Koban 1 sen black, four examples in two different shades, cancelled by small negative cross with type N2B2 "Tokyo 10.10.15" (15 October 1877) cds alongside, in combination with France 40c orange (Yvert 38), tied by "Yolohama Japon 29 Oct 77" cds, repeated adjacent, with red French "Paq. Ang. V. Brind. A. Mod. 30 Nov 77" entry at right. On reverse showing "Degron-kun" type 1 handstamp (“Mr. Degron, Chief of French Mail Ship Co., Honcho 5-chome, Yokohama”), applied to the mail of the French Military Mission in Tokyo. The usage of a 1sen black "Old Koban" is unique on Japan-France combination covers, as well as one of the latest combination frankings of these two countries. (Image)

1877, Large piece of envelope front (Munier correspondence) endorsed "Voie anglaise/France", bearing Old Koban 4 sen bluish-green, cancelled by small negative cross, with type N2B2 "Tokyo 10.10.15" (15 October 1877) and type KB1 "Yokohama -.10.15" cds's at left, in combination with France, "Siege of Paris" 40c orange (Yvert 38), tied by "Yolohama Japon 15 Oct 77" cds's, with red French "Paq. Ang. V. Brind. A. Mod. 30 Nov 77" entry cds below. According to a similar piece in this auction bearing a franking with 1 sen black, this was a "Degron-kun" cover in a late period. The usage of a 4 sen Old Koban is unrecorded on Degron- or other mixed Japan-France combination covers. (Image)

1872, Cover from Yokohama to Lyon, France, franked by 1862 5c green in strip of four and 1867 80c carmine, tied by "5118" dotted lozenges, with "Yokohama 15 Oct. 72 Bau. Français" cds in bluish black at left, with receiving cds on reverse. File fold passing through the 80c horizontally. A very rare franking paying the 1 franc rate. Signed Calves and Roumet. (Image)

1869, "Empire Dentelé" 40c orange and "Napoleon Laurée" 80c carmine, both tied by "5118" dotted lozenge to cover via British packet to Milan, Italy, with associated "Yokohama 21 Fevr 69 Bau. Français" cds and Marseilles entry cds alongside, backstamped on arrival. A very fine two-issue franking paying the 1fr 20c rate. (Image)

1868, 80c carmine on entire letter with interesting contents related to rebellions few months before the beginning of the Meiji Era, addressed to Flaviac, France, tied by "5118" dotted lozenge with associated "Yokohama Bau Français/22 Aout 68" cds adjacent, tied in addition by French red entry cds, with Livron and Flaviac backstamps struck in France. A rare usage in 1868, the year of issue of the new "Empire Laurée" 80c value; Jun Ichi Matsuoto did not record a cover showing this stamp used in 1868 (see 1997 edition on page 193). (Yvert €1,000). (Image)

1871, "Napoleon Laurée" 80c carmine, very attractively tied by anchor lozenge with matching "Yokohama 22 Janv. 71 Paq. Fr. S. N°2" octagonal datestamp at top on mourning envelope (upper flap missing) to Puy de Dôme, France, with French transits on back applied on metropolitan soil. Carried by the "Godavery" to Shanghai, arriving on January 31st. A very fine and rare ship mail cover. (Image)

1871, "Bordeaux" 80c carmine on rose, part of frame line missing at base, otherwise very large margins, in combination with "Napoleon Laurée" 10c bistre vertical pair, tied by "5118" dotted lozenges on September 29 entire letter to Chabrillan, France, showing "Yokohama 30 Sept. 71 Bau. Français" cds scarcely struck in bluish. Vertical pair with imperfections at top and cover with minor edge faults. A scarce 1 franc franking exhibiting the "Bordeaux" Issue (French packet rate to France valid from August 1st, 1871), further enhanced by the cds usage in blue. (Yvert €4,000+). (Image)

French Post Office » Incoming Mail. 1870-74, Group of five covers from France to Yokohama or Yedo, franked with "Napoleon Laurée" and "Cérès" issues, showing 80c, 1fr30c, 1fr60c rates including an 1870 example with the scarce French Yokohama cds in blue (the others are all in black). One cover is addressed to Georges Lebon, Artillery Captain of the French Military Mission in Yedo (Tokyo). Generally very fine. (Image)

French Post Offices. 1864 France 1862 Napoléon III Empire perf. issue, 10c (7), 20c (15, including strip of nine) and 40c (15, including a strip of six and nine), a number showing faults which as to be expected from such a high multiple rate, all tied by clear ”5104” numeral of Shanghai, sent to USA with Marseille transit and red boxed PD, Boston arrival and red framed transatlantic handstamp ”Br. Service” (British packet), opened at the sides for presentation. This remarkable 9fr70c transatlantic mail rate to the USA, showing thirty seven stamps represents not only the highest pre-UPU franking from Shanghai to the USA but also the largest franking of the French post in Shanghai by its number of stamps. (Image)

Incoming Mail: 1867 wrapper from Marseille to Shanghai, franked with Empire 80c rose perf. in pair tied by large numeral "2240" lozenge, 16 JUIL despatch cds adjacent, reverse with French Office arrival, very fine. (Image)

German Post Offices. 1900-01 Tientsin Provisional 10pf mint o.g., shortish perf at top, very fine (S.G. £1'600, Mi. €1'200). (Image)

U.S. Post Office. Hakodate. 1872, 10c brown, on small cover to Mrs. Stephen R. Chase, Berry’s Mills, Maine, originally affixed over blue “Pacific Mail S.S. Co. Hakodate, Japan” two-line handstamp applied by PMSS agent, lifted and hinged back enabling the PMSS cachet to be exhibited, tied by crossroads cancel. Cover clearly struck with “San Francisco Steamship Mar. 24” (1872) cds. Small surface scuff in address at right, otherwise very fine. Illustrated on page 72 of "The United States Post Offices in China and Japan" by Frajola-Perlman-Scamp (Collectors Club, 2006). An extremely rare loose ship letter from Hakodate before the U.S. post office was established. Provenance: Bilden "Magnolia" (Part 4, Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries sale 1271, 13.12.2022, lot 306) (Image)

Hakodate. 1874 (ca.), 3c green in dark shade, one pulled perf. at base, tied by circle of wedges cancel of Yokohama on undated cover addressed to “H. S. Munroe, E.M., Ichiwanatori, Hokaido, Care of American Consul, Hakodate”. H. S. Munroe was the assistant geologist on the survey of Yesso (Geological Survey of Hokkaido: A General Report on the Geology of Yesso, Benjamin Smith Lyman, 1877). The U.S. post offices in Japan closed on Dec. 31, 1874. Very fine, an extremely rare incoming cover to Hakodate, this being a rarely used post office, from which only three covers are known bearing the Hakodate circular datestamp. Provenance: Ryohei Ishikawa ("The Forerunner Foreign Post Offices in Japan", Tokyo 1976, p. 100) "Magnolia" (Part 4, Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries sale 1271, 13.12.2022, lot 307) (Image)