Lot 30110 – 1872, 1 sen blue, Matsuda printing MLL perforation, type III, plate 3 pos. 12.

1872, 1 sen blue, Matsuda printing with MLL perforation, type III, plate 3, position 12, used on reverse of cover from Tokyo (Musashi Province) to Ryugasaki-Shinden (Hitachi province), harmoniously tied by square non-standard “Ken” fancy handstamp on dispatch. Framed “(year of the) Cock 3rd Month 16/17th Day” (March 16-17, 1873) datestamp alongside. Cert. Florian Eichhorn BPP (2023).

A very attractive example of this rare single franking featuring Matsuda long large perforation. (JHES ¥800,000; JSCA ¥500,000 off cover).

Note: The 1 sen rate paid corresponded to the single letter weight up to 25 ri distance in the 2nd rate period, Meiji 4.12.5-6.3.31.