A UNIQUE MIXED-ISSUES FRANKING WITH THE RARE 200 MON PLATE 2

1871, 200 mon vermillion, plate 2, vertical strip of three with magnificent margins, positions 8 / 16 / 24, positional pin hole at top right, together with 500 mon bluish green, plate 1, vertical pair, positions 1/9 (featuring « extra dot in second value character » variety in position 9), barely touching on two sides and varying to huge margins, in conjunction with 1872, Dragon 1 sen, plate 2, position 28, each cancelled by boxed « Ken » (for examined) chops of Tokyo with framed blue « (year of) Water Monkey 4th Moon 28th Day / Tokyo P.O. » datestamp (« Tokyo Yubin Yakusho », Tokyo Post Office) alongside, to reverse of cover to Kobe. Addressee’s side displaying framed arrival datestamp: « (year of) Water Monkey 5th Moon 2nd Day / Sesshu Kobe P. O. » (Sesshu = Settsu province).

Covers bearing the 200 mon plate 2 are exceedingly scarce, particularly in mixed franking with the 500 mon. An exceptional and splendid imperforate-perforated combination franking.

Provenance:

Robert Levy (Robson Lowe, 18.11.1964, lot 111)

Lois M. Evans-de Violini (Dynasty Auctions, 6.8.2011, lot 1533)