Lot 90172 – 1875, 1 sen brown “ribbon”, roulette perforation 14 1/2, a remarkable example with sheet margin at top

1875, 1 sen brown “ribbon”, roulette perforation 14 1/2, a remarkable example with sheet margin at top, vertically separated by scissors, in combination with “Old Koban” 2 sen olive, sheet margin at base, tied with two strikes of duplex intaglio with “Osaka -.7.13” type KB1 cds applied on reverse of inland cover, with the 1 sen paying the delivery charge for places outside the regular circuit of a next post office. Dated Meiji 9 (1876). An extremely rare usage on cover of this roulette perforation. (JSCA ¥120,000 for used copy off cover).

Note: The so called “roulette” 14 1/2 perforation is only found in the 1 Sen “ribbon” of 1876 in Japanese philately (classified in JSCA as LT 14 1/2 perforation, although it is widely known and described by exhibitors as “roulette perforation”). Mr. Woodward suggested this variety to have occurred as a temporary usage of perforation gauges formerly applied for fiscals (issues of April 1873-September 1874), but this is not confirmed.