1871/72, 500 mon blue, plate I, middle period printing, position 25, used in combination with Dragon 2 sen vermilion, rounded corner and some perf faults, and Dragon 1 sen blue, plate II, position 12, tied by framed blue "ken" of Tokyo to the reverse of a cover, corner clipped, to Kyoto.

Blue framed "year of the monkey 5th month 16th day / Tokyo postal bureau", or Meiji 5.5.16 (21 June 1872), on address side; on reverse, vermilion framed arrival "year of the monkey 5th month ... / Saikyo postal bureau".

A scarce and attractive three-colour franking, notable for the mixed usage of mon and sen Dragon values during this transitional period.

Rate: Up to 200 ri distance = 4 sen, double weight = 8 sen.