Lot 30120 – 1872, 30 Sen grey Matsuda single franking tied double

ONE OF TWO 30 SEN MATSUDA-PRINTING SINGLE FRANKINGS ON COMPLETE COVER 1872, 30 sen grey, Matsuda printing, position 10, strong shade, used as single franking on official registered express cover carried locally at Tokushima (Awa Province), addressed to “No. 6 Large District No. 6 Small District.”, tied by type KG “Awa Tokushima -.11.9” (9 November) cds. A spectacular large cover of great visual appeal. Cert. Philatelic Federation of Japan (2017).One of just nine covers recorded (only seven with complete franking) bearing the 30 sen Matsuda Printing, this being one of just two single frankings on complete cover, the other being in contrast sent abroad. This item has been chosen to illustrate the usage of this stamp on cover in the JSCA catalogue (2023). (JSCA ¥5,000,000).Note: The sender was the Kochi Prefecture/Tokushima branch office, which was established on Meiji 9.8.21 (August 21st, 1876). This cover is assumed to have been sent in Meiji 9 or 10 (1876/77), consequently the rate was paid in accordance with the 11th weight (22 momme or 82.5g) for an amount of 22 sen, with the special delivery being 2 sen (for post offices below 2nd class and agencies) and the 6 sen corresponding to the registration fee.Census of covers with 30 sen Matsuda Printing (nine, but only seven with complete franking):-The example presented here-Single franking, from Shizuoka, 2.5.1874, “matome bin” box address label (“front”), (pictured on the back cover of JHES 1981)-Single franking, 18.10.1880, Nagasaki to Ribe (Denmark), ex Brun Rasmussen auction-Single with “Cherry Blossoms” 4 sen, 3.6.1873, Tokyo via Osaka 6.6 to Tsuyama, in the Ota Katsumi collection (“matome bin”, bundled official writings), also illustrated in “Gallery of Japanese Stamps” (vol. 2, 1990, page 32).-Single with “Cherry Blossoms” 6 sen (3) and “Koban” 2 sen (4) (some “Koban” stamps missing), 15.9.1882, registered from Nagasaki to France-Single with “Koban” 2 sen (3) on incomplete cover (one 30s and two “Koban” 2 sen missing, as endorsed “64 sen”), 10.10.1876, Niigata to Mizuhara-Pair with “Cherry Blossoms” 6 sen & 10 sen, 30.7.1874, Niigata to Sakata, in the Kanai Hiroyuki collection (The Philatelic Culture Museum), illustrated in Ichida Cherry Blossoms 1965 page 142-Strip of three, Kashiwazaki to Niigata, 7.9.1874, “matome bin” (colour plate entry in Takahashi Stamp Co. “tebori notes II” page I)-Strip of three with “Cherry Blossoms” 2 sen and 4 sen (4), 1877/78 Niigata to Kanaya-Mura, in the Yigal Nathaniel collection (ex-Shirai Tsugumi)