Lot 30160 – 1873, 4 sen rose, plate 8, Government printing, block of four

1873, 4 sen rose, plate 8, Government printing, block of four, positions 18-9 / 26-27; plate 8A at top and plate 8B at base, originating from the intersection of the 8A and 8B plates between the third and fourth horizontal rows of the sheet. Displaying a very good centring and each stamp cancelled by very fine strike of type N1B1 “Niigata 9.9.1” (1 September 1876) cds. Few insect holes in lower left stamp, otherwise and extremely fine and fresh multiple.

An exceedingly scarce multiple, larger than a pair, exhibiting sub-plates 8A & 8B. While pairs can be scarcely found, a block of four is a true rarity. (JSCA for normal plate 8 in block of four: ¥200,000).

Note: The type 8A features the two horizontal lines slanted in the Japanese “Te” character of “Yubin-Kitte” (in centre), and in the plate 8B the ornament in the four angles in centre is different with one of the elements being a semi-circle instead of a scroll. Exceptionally in the plate 8 only, we find “sub-plates”: the upper three rows (positions 1-24) are classified as plate 8A, and the lower two rows (positions 25-40) as plate 8B.

Provenance: Dr. Tani Takashi