Auction Detail
The Yasushi Tejima Collection Japan Dragon Stamps Part 1
1871, 200 mon, plate I, latest printing, a vertical pair, positions 30-38, with retouch at position 30, tied by large "Shizuoka Kensazumi" to the reverse of a cover to Tokyo.
Manuscript dateline "year of the monkey 6th month 18th day", or Meiji 5.6.18 (23 July 1872). Blue framed arrival "year of the monkey 6th month 20th day / Tokyo postal bureau", together with framed vermilion "afternoon delivery".
A scarce and appealing variety cover, showing the retouched position 30 clearly on postal use.
Rate: Within 200 ri = 4 sen, second rate period.
Provenance: Dr. Ichida
Reference: Illustrated in Ichida (1971), p. 53; Dragon Covers, p. 60.
1871, 48 mon dark brown, plate II, a vertical pair, positions 14-22, upper stamp touched at upper right frameline, tied by framed non-standard "Nara aratame / kensazumi", with framed "Nara station / postal receiving and handling agency" alongside, to a cover to Ichinomoto, Yamato Province.
Manuscript dateline "6th month 20th day", or Meiji 5.6.20 (25 July 1872).
A remarkable instance of postal fraud: already postmarked stamps, originally cancelled by large Kensazumi, were reused and passed undetected by the postal clerk. Only two such fraud covers bearing Dragon stamps are recorded.
An exceptional postal-history rarity of great interest and exhibition significance.
Rate: Up to 25 ri distance = 1 sen, second rate period.
Reference: Illustrated in Dragon Covers, p. 61.
1871, 200 mon vermilion, plate I, early printing, a vertical pair, positions 25-33, the latter with positional pinhole, tied by large "Saikyo Kensazumi" to the reverse of a cover to Tokyo.
Vermilion "year of the monkey 7th month 2nd day / Saikyo postal bureau", or Meiji 5.7.2 (5 August 1872). Circular framed hakoba-in "ima" (今) of Imadegawa letter box. Also struck with the large vermilion oval instructional marking "arrival delayed by river flooding" of Tokyo. Arrival framed "year of the monkey 7th month 9th day / Tokyo postal bureau", together with framed "Kojimachi / postal branch bureau" and vermilion "morning delivery".
The earliest recorded delay marking in Japanese philately, and a cover of outstanding postal-historical significance.
Rate: Up to 200 ri = 4 sen, second rate period.
Reference: Illustrated in 19th century, fig. 322; Dragon Covers, p. 63.
1871/72, 5 sen bluish green, middle period printing, used in combination with 200 mon Plate II, tied by blue framed "Ken" of Tokyo to a cover to Kamikanbayashi, Shinano Province.
Framed "year of the monkey 7th month 3rd day / Tokyo postal bureau", or Meiji 5.7.3 (6 August 1872), alongside.
A highly desirable and unusual mixed franking, uniting mon and sen values in a scarce blue Tokyo "Ken" usage.
Rate: Within 100 ri = 3 sen, double weight = 6 sen, plus 1 sen to destination outside the delivery circuit, total 7 sen, second rate period.
1871, 200 mon, plate II, a vertical pair, positions 1-9, cut into at left frame, tied by framed blue "Ken" to the reverse of a cover, partly soiled by gum, to Kamo, Mino Province.
Alongside, blue framed "year of the monkey 7th month 4th day / Tokyo postal bureau", or Meiji 5.7.4 (7 August 1872).
A scarce and attractive provincial destination cover bearing a Plate II pair with the Tokyo framed "Ken" cancellation.
Rate: Within 200 ri = 4 sen, second rate period.
1871, 100 mon blue, plate I, tied by damaged rectangular Osaka marking to the reverse of a cover to Kyoto.
Alongside, framed vermilion datestamp "year of the monkey 7th month 5th day / Osaka postal bureau", or Meiji 5.7.5 (8 August 1872), with part strike of same-day Saikyo arrival on front.
This Osaka cancellation, measuring 11 x 35 mm and classified as Nakagawa type C, is recorded in use from Meiji 5.5 to 5.8. No fully readable strike has yet been found, lending this cover particular significance as an example of the elusive so-called Osaka "mystery mark".
Rate: Within 25 ri distance = 1 sen, second rate period.
Reference: Illustrated in Dragon Covers, p. 143.
1872, 1 sen blue, plate II, earliest printing, tied by blue framed "Ken" of Tokyo to a cover to Yokohama.
Alongside, blue framed "year of the monkey 7th month 12th day / Tokyo postal bureau", or Meiji 5.7.12 (15 August 1872), and framed vermilion Yokohama arrival of the same date. Framed vermilion "Yokohama night dispatch" delivery mark alongside.
The latest recorded usage on cover of both the blue Tokyo "Ken" and the blue Tokyo datestamp. A particularly desirable terminal-date usage.
Rate: Within 25 ri distance = 1 sen, second rate period.
1872, 1 sen blue, plate II (3, one damaged), tied by large "Hodogaya Kensazumi" to the reverse of a cover to Hakone, Sagami Province. Alongside, manuscript dateline "year of the goat 7th moon 26th day", or Meiji 5.7.26 (29 August 1872).
The earliest recorded cover from Hodogaya, and a scarce provincial Dragon usage of considerable specialist interest.
Rate: Within 100 ri distance = 3 sen, second rate period.
Reference: Illustrated in Dragon Covers, p. 66.
1872, 2 sen vermilion, early printing (2), tied by large "Tokyo Kensazumi" to the reverse of a cover to Saikyo. On the address side, framed "year of the monkey 7th month 28th day / Tokyo postal bureau", or Meiji 5.7.28 (31 August 1872). On reverse, framed vermilion collection mark "morning dispatch" together with framed "Kojimachi postal branch office". Vermilion framed arrival of Saikyo postal bureau of Meiji 5.8.2 (4 September 1872).
During the regular period of framed "Ken" usage in Tokyo, the large Tokyo Kensazumi was temporarily re-employed. This cover represents the latest recorded date of that temporary usage.
A highly desirable terminal-date cover of notable postal-marking importance.
Rate: Within 200 ri = 4 sen, second rate period.
Reference: Illustrated in 19th century, fig. 45; Dragon Covers, p. 67.
1871, 100 mon dark blue, middle period printing, plate II, position 25, showing the variety "right dragon head retouched", tied by a large "Kanbara Kensazumi" to the reverse of a cover to Shizuoka, Suruga Province.
Manuscript dateline [Meiji 5] 8th month 4th day (6 September 1872).
A scarce and well-defined retouch variety, attractively presented on cover with clear postal markings.
Rate: 100 mon (1 sen) up to 25 ri distance, basic weight, second rate period.
Reference: Illustrated in Dragon Covers, p. 68.
1872, 1 sen blue, plate III, single franking tied by framed "Ken" of Tokyo to a cover to Yokohama. On reverse, "year of the monkey 8th month 6th day / Tokyo postal bureau", or Meiji 5.8.6 (8 September 1872). Also showing rounded-rectangular framed vermilion "Hongo" collection mark, the earliest recorded date of this marking, known in use until Meiji 7.4.13. On front, vermilion framed next-day arrival of Yokohama postal bureau, together with framed vermilion "afternoon dispatch" delivery mark.
A highly desirable Tokyo-Yokohama cover, particularly notable for the earliest recorded usage of the Hongo collection mark.
Rate: Within 25 ri = 1 sen, second rate period.
1871, Dragon 100 mon dark blue, plate II, position 12, used in combination with 200 mon vermilion, plate I, position 22, showing the "right dragon worn out" variety (右龍損傷), tied by vermilion framed "Kensazumi" of Utsunomiya, Shimotsuke Province, with "8th month 13th day" dateline alongside, to Kakeda, Iwashiro Province.
Transit at Fukushima post office with manuscript vermilion dateline "13th day, 7th hour". Date of dispatch is Meiji 5.8.13 (15 September 1872).
The earliest recorded cover from Utsunomiya, and an important mixed-franking example further enhanced by the plated variety on the 200 mon.
Rate: Within 50 ri = 2 sen, plus 1 sen fee for delivery outside the postal delivery circuit = 3 sen.
Reference: Illustrated in Dragon Covers, p. 70.