Lot 30051 – 1871, 500 mon, plate 1, earliest printing, pos. 2, “Missing Stroke & Missing Dot” on cover

THE 500 MON “MISSING STROKE” PLATE VARIETY

1871, 500 mon greyish yellow green, plate 1, earliest printing, position 2, featuring the “Missing Stroke” variety in the “Sen” character, very fine with clear to very large margins and good impression, unused without gum as issued. In addition, two examples of plate 1, position 2, showing the retouch which corrected the error are included for comparison; these represent the early printing in bright green (Dr. Ichida: “pure green”) used, and the intermediate printing with an unused example. Cert. Florian Eichhorn BPP (2023).

One of only about five examples recorded of this major plate flaw variety, which together with the “Missing Stroke and Missing Dot” variety are the most valuable and significant plate flaws in any value of the classic period. One of the early gems of Japanese philately and a key item in the most advanced collection. (JSCA 4v-1-2 cat. ¥10,000,000).

Note: As it was not the case with other plate varieties, this error was found very soon and was retouched, so that even the earliest printing examples in dull yellow-green already possess the “sen” character amended. As a result of this, this error is of great scarcity. The stamp offered here is illustrated in Dr. Ichida’s “The Dragon Stamps of Japan 1871-1872” handbook (1959), on page 139.

Provenance: Yamamoto Kunichi

Our -probably partial- census:

-The example offered here

-Single unused, illustrated in “Gallery of Japanese Stamps” vol.2 (1990) fig.19

-Single unused, in the Ota Katsumi collection

-Single franking on cover in the Tejima collection.