Lot 90029 – 1871, 500 mon bluish green, plate 1, pair and single, and 48 mon, plate 1, pair on cover

1871, 500 mon bluish green, plate 1, vertical pair, positions 9 / 17 and single position 20, with 48 mon dark brown, plate 1, vertical pair, positions 21 / 29, all in very fine condition with full to wide margins all around, just the 48 mon multiple is slightly touched at lower left, tied by two strikes of large “Kanagawa Eki Kensazumi” handstamp to reverse of entire cover from Kanagawa to Futamata, Totomi province, precisely “East of Mitsuke Futamatamura” (Mitsuke was the nearest postal station next to Futamata, which had not a postal facility). Cert. Florian Eichhorn BPP (2009).

A very rare and spectacular first-issue franking on cover, also paying a scarce “Kobin”-regulation rate during the first rate period (see note below).

Note: The postage rate of 1600 mon comprises 700 mon for the single weight carried within the basic distance, which was covered between Kanagawa and Mitsuke, with additional 700 mon corresponding to the triple rate, as any step increase over the single weight paid half the single weight -that is to say 350 mon-, with 700 mon in this case paying twice 350 mon for the double and triple rate. The rest 200 mon were required to pay the Mitsuke-Futamata portion of the journey up to 2 ri distance under the “Kobin” regulation (messenger from postal station to a destination without post office), 100 mon per 1 ri. These postal tariffs were applied during the first rate period, Meiji 4.3.1-4.12.4 (1871.4.29-1872.1.13).

Provenance:

Robert S. Levy collection (Robson Lowe auction, 18.11.1964, lot 108)

Chiani Auktion, 11.5.2009, lot 2891 (sold for CHF80,000)