Lot 30028 – 1871, 100 mon dark blue, plate 2, vertical block of ten and pair on large part cover

1871, 100 mon dark blue, plate 2, vertical block of ten, positions 6-7 / 14-15 / 22-23 / 30-31 / 38-39, and horizontal pair from positions 4 & 5, both showing an outstandingly precise impression and being well margined, with only one position touched at right in the block, tied to large piece of cover by eleven strikes of framed « Ken » of Tokyo, with ms. date 10.19 adjacent, and framed arrival « Osaka Post Office (year of) Water Monkey 10th Moon 23rd Day » (Gregorian Nov. 19 resp. 23, 1872), both struck in black. Very fine and visually impressive. Cert. Florian Eichhorn BPP (2023).The used blocks of the second plate of this value are extremely scarce, and this unique bllock is the second largest recorded, the largest being a block of twelve (also unique) on cover (in the Yigal Nathaniel collection). ( JSCA ¥1’000’000 for a used block of four).Provenance: Robert Levy (Robson Lowe, 18.11.1964, lot 97, « probably unique »)Lois M. Evans-de Violini (Dynasty auctions, 6.8.2011, lot 1517)