1872, 1/2 sen brown, plate II, early printing, a horizontal strip of four, positions 5-6-7-8, upper stamp faults, each stamp with full strike of a circular framed non-standard tensho-style marking, probably the postmaster's seal of Kanazaki, Shimotsuke Province, on the reverse of a cover, a few insect holes not affecting the adhesives, to Tomita within the same province.

Manuscript dateline "7th month 17th day dispatched" of Meiji 6.7.17 (17 July 1873). The earliest recorded cover from Kanazaki.

A rare and highly attractive provincial cover, notable for the repeated full strikes of this probable postmaster seal on a handsome strip of four.

Rate: Letter nationwide = 2 sen, unified rate period from Meiji 6.4.1.

Reference: Illustrated in Dragon Covers, p. 178.