Lot Details

1871, 48 mon brown, plate I, a vertical pair, positions 20-28; 100 mon blue, plate I, vertical pair positions 3-11 and single in a different shade, position 17; together with 500 mon bluish green, plate I, middle period printing, a vertical pair, positions 17-25, all tied by two strikes of large "Tokyo Kensazumi" to the reverse of a cover to Fushimi, Yamashiro Province.

Manuscript dateline on address side left, "year of the goat 10th month 22nd day", or Meiji 4.10.22 (4 December 1871). Also showing a vermilion circular framed hakoba-in "yu" (郵), the letter box mark of the posting box outside the gates of the Tokyo-Yokkaichi postal bureau, the first main post office of Tokyo. This hakoba is recorded from Meiji 4.4 to 4.11 only.

A most impressive and visually striking three-colour mon franking, additionally distinguished by this scarce Tokyo letter box marking.

Rate: 1400 mon to Fushimi, separate area rate of the first rate period.