Lot 30268 – 1875, bird 15 sen violet, syllabic 3 (ha), on envelope

1875, bird 15 sen violet, syllabic 3 (ha), on envelope from Yokohama to Philadelphia (United States), tied by foreign registered mail “R” intaglio cancel, with octagonal violet “Registered Yokohama Apr 7 1882” alongside, reverse with San Francisco transit (April 22) and arrival (April 30) datestamps. Cert. F. Eichhorn BPP (2022).

Single frankings featuring the syllabic 3 on foreign mail are considerably scarcer than those with syllabic 1 and 2. Undoubtedly one of the most attractive covers known bearing the very rare 15 sen syllabic 3, with only four recorded according to our census (of which one in a museum).

Note: The 15 sen rate includes 5 sen for foreign postage and 10 sen for registration fees. The special “R” negative postmark of Yokohama was into force from 1880 to 1883 and was applied on outgoing correspondence; it is interesting to note that we found another cover in the “Birds”” Issue with this cancellation, also franked with a 15 sen, but syllabic 2, and addressed to the U.S. (Robson Lowe, 28.1.1970, lot 1204).

Our census of covers bearing the “Bird” 15 sen syllabic 3 (ha):

-The example presented here

-Single franking, 22.3.1883, Yokohama to New York, ex Yamada Yuji, to be offered in the “Meiji” Property auction sale – Part II

-Single franking, 23.100.1883, registered from Shanghai to Nagasaki, in the Kanai collection (The Philatelic Culture Museum)

-Single with “Bird” 45 sen, “Cherry Blossom” 20 sen and “Koban” 2 sen, 11.2.1882, registered from Yokohama to Bavaria (Germany), Christoph Gärtner auction (30.5.2016, lot 119)