1914-15 picture postcard addressed to Shanghai, franked with German 3pf Yacht, canceled (as a souvenir) by Japanese "Ponape 7 Oct 1914" pmk. Also a cover with 25sen adhesive overprinted "I.J.O Ponape", tied by 11 Dec. 1915 "Ponape Imperial Naval Post Office" cds, red chops at bottom, fine (this typewritten overprint might have been authorized by the Japanese naval commander on the island, but is considered to be of private nature. The Japanese took possession of Ponape on Oct 7th,1914) (Image)

Est.US$500

1915 (4 Aug) picture postcard (German-Dutch Telegraph office on Yao, German West Carolines), free frank from Naval Fieldpost No.5 on "IJNS Kamakura Maru", one of three Japanese freighters which maintained Naval Post Offices, addressed to Tokyo, text mentions further visits to Truk and Palau, with red censor markings, extremely rare usage from a mobile naval post office, 1997 Florian Eichhorn certificate ("Postal History Rarity of Significant Importance") (Image)

Est.US$1,500

1916 (1 May) "West-Karolinen Gesselschaft M.B.H.JAP" cover with 20sen franking, tied by "Yap Imperial Naval Post Office" pmk, registered to Imperial German Legation in Peking, with corresponding Registry label, violet "Peking I.J.P.O." (26.5.16) arrival pmk on front, v.f., unusual commercial registered cover from Japanese Occupied Caroline Islands to German Legation in Peking (Image)

Est.US$750

1916 postcard with 3pf Yacht, also 5pf and 10pf stationery cards, each with typewritten "I.J.P.Ponape" and surcharged with new value in Sen, locally addressed, with additional red chops alongside, fine and interesting philatelic creations (while these overprints may have been authorized by the Japanese naval commander on the island, they were not approved by the Communications Ministry and as such, should be considered as curiosities or souvenirs of the Japanese Occupation of the Carolines) (Image)

Est.US$500

1916 (16 Oct) cover to Yokohama, franked with 4x3sen carmine, tied by Ponape Japanese Naval cancels, apparently sent by a German national to a German-named commercial firm in Japan, minor cover flaws, extremely rare example of non-philatelic mail from the Japanese Occupied Caroline Islands (Image)

Est.US$500

1916 (18 Apr) "Truk Station der Jaluit-Gessellschaft, Truk" cover franked with 10sen blue, tied by "Truk Imperial Naval Post Office" Japanese pmk, Registered to Yokohama, with red directional markings, Registry label, 9.4.30 arrival pmk on back, fine and rare commercial cover from Japanese Occupied Truk (Image)

Est.US$750

1917 (21 July) free-frank registered cover addressed to a German sailor from "S.M.S. Jaguar", currently a POW at the Narashino Camp new Tokyo, Registry handstamp and corresponding label, censor chops and directional endorsements, with 6.8.17 arrival and red censor mark on reverse, fine and extremely unusual cover from the Japanese Occupied Caroline Islands to a German POW in Tokyo ("SMS Jaguar" participated in the suppression of the Boxer Rebellion and later in combat operations against the Imperial Japanese Navy at the Siege of Qingdao. On November 7, the "Jaguar" was scuttled at the German Colony of Kiauchau) (Image)

Est.US$750

1919 (4 July) Imperial Post Office, Yokohama, Official Business cover to Switzerland, endorsed "Imperial navy P.O.Yap", franked with four different Japanese adhesives, tied by "Yap Imperial Naval Post Office" departure pmks, with Yap and Yokohama Registry labels, red censor cachet and Basel (10.IX.19) arrival pmk, fine and attractive cover (Image)

Est.US$500

1918-21 balance of the collection, 8 covers or cards displayed and written-up on exhibit pages from occupied Caroline Islands, one from Yap, with provisional Registry and censor markings, two postcards from Ponape franked with captured Yacht adhesives, tied by Ponape Japanese Imperial Navy pmks, one with the invalid German postage actually accepted, "Ponape Imperial Naval Post Office" markings on a censored fieldpost cover from a member of South Pacific Defense Corps, military covers with Gunji Yubin ("to secure free franking") and censor marks from Truk and from Palau, fine, representative selection from this elusive area (Image)

Est.US$2,500