Lot 30199 – 1873, USPO Yokohama inner envelope of the double-envelope system

ONE OF JUST FOUR INNER COVERS UNDER THE DOUBLE-ENVELOPE SYSTEM FOR FOREIGN MAILONE OF JUST THREE JAPAN-UNITED STATES COMBINATION COVERS UNDER THIS SYSTEM1872-1875. Inner envelope of the double-envelope system: Mourning cover without sender’s details addressed to Eastbourne (England), bearing on reverse, below the franking at right, Japanese acceptance “Tokyo 6.(9.)1” (Sept 1, 1873) postmark, franked with United States 1873 1c ultramarine and 3c green strip of five, paying the 16 cents U.S. postage, tied by negative cork cancels with matching “Yokohama Sept 7 Japan” cds from the United States P.O. clearly struck on front, showing alongside large red “San Francisco Cal Oct 1 Paid” cds. The franking is additionally tied on arrival by 21 October cds’s. Cover endorsed “Via Brindisi”, but that was ostensibly ignored, as an eastbound steamer was faster then and this mail arrived after 51 days. One of only four non-Dr. Hennon inner covers recorded of the double-envelope system (not belonging to the Dr. Henon correspondence). According to our research, amongst the all inner covers, being unique exhibiting a postmark from Tokyo, making this the most attractive example. Illustrated with high relevance in the JHES (2007) as one of the two introductory pictures of this reference catalogue. The double-envelope system:This was part of the “Foreign Mail Procedure” (“kaigaiyubintezoku”) introduced on Meiji 5.4.8 (14 May 1872). Then Japan had not a foreign mail service of its own. Foreign residents or visitors at the treaty ports could use the services of the extant foreign post offices of United States, France and Great Britain there, although customers in the outer provinces could not benefit from these services.The double-envelope system was used to enhance the communications for Japanese nationals as well as foreign employees (“oyatoi gaikokujin”) in the outer provinces. It consisted of two envelopes, including a smaller-size inner envelope which had to contain the letter inside and indicate the addressee outside. The outer envelope had to be franked according to the Japanese foreign rate for the destination country indicated in the inner envelope under this special procedure, as listed in the postal tariff of the “Foreign Mail Procedure” (which was not an “inland rate up to Tokyo” as some philatelists erroneously assumed, being unaware of the official postal regulations). This outer envelope had to be addressed to “c/o Tokyo General Post Office, Foreign Mail dispatching process”. In Tokyo, the outside envelope was opened, and the inner envelope had to be franked with foreign stamps as required, to be forwarded to the Yokohama’s foreign post office of choice.Customers residing in Yokohama or Tokyo could post their envelopes directly at the Tokyo P.O.’s counter and no outer envelope was required (see the “Boinville” cover in the Yigal Nathaniel collection).As a proof of the scarcity of this system, in 1873 and 1874 only 725 and 873 letters were carried under this system, with the main destinations being United States and Great Britain (research by Dr. Tani Takashi).When the foreign mail of Japan started on 1st January 1875, and even with the United States P.O. of Yokohama closed, the double-envelope system continued for some time until September 1875, through the French and British post offices.Provenance: Shirai TsugumiCensus of inner covers under the Double-Envelope System for foreign mail:-The example presented here-Cover addressed to Italy bearing French stamps, with Tokyo double circle and posted in October 1874 (Meiji 7)-Cover addressed to United States bearing U.S. “Jefferson” 10c, with Tokyo double circle and posted on 16 January 1873 (Meiji 5.12.18), which emerged in a 2017 auction of JSA, Osaka-Cover addressed to the United States bearing U.S. “Jefferson” 10c with boxed Tokyo date stamp and posted on 17 March 1873 (Meiji 6.3.17)-Fewer than 20 covers are recorded originating from the Henon correspondence (addressed to Lyon, France, and all numbered at top left by the addressee Madame Henon), of which 60% bearing a U.S. franking and 40% a French franking. According to our research, this may not possess the transit of Tokyo