Lot Details

1871, 100 mon blue, plate II, early to late printing, full sheet reconstruction by used stamps, including prominent plate flaw position 26 with right dragon head error, of which only a few are recorded, together with three pairs, including kiban ra-3, and a strip of three with large placename Kensazumi.

The most celebrated component, however, is the used block of ten, positions 5-6 to 37-38, the second-largest recorded used multiple of the 100 mon Plate II, cancelled by three strikes of the "Tawaraya" shop seal of the owner and postal agent of the Okayama postal receiving and handling agency.

An exceptional reconstruction of major importance, centred on one of the most famous surviving multiples of the issue.

Catalogue Value: (JSCA cat. ¥12,000,000)

Provenance: This remarkable block formed part of the W. Meluish Japan Collection, Robson Lowe auction 1385–1386, June 1955.