Index of Issues

Reproductions & Souvenir Sheets

• Official Dragon Reproductions
• 1902-1912 Reproductions in the official Communications Law Monthly Reports
• Reproductions 100th Anniversary of Japan’s First Stamps
• Reproductions by the Japan Stamp Publicity Association
• Private Souvenir Sheets from the 1950’s and 60’s
• Private Souvenir Sheets of the 500 mon invert.

All except the last two were issued with the authorization of the Japanese Ministry.  While not good for postage, many find them collectable.  The last two were clearly private souvenirs and were made with no attempt to deceive anyone, but unfortunately there are those who have no problem altering these souvenirs to make forgeries.

 Kitte Bunka Kai (Stamp Culture Association)

• 1964 20 sen violet with Syllabic i
• 1974 30 sen gray with crossed branches

These two souvenir sheets in folders were issued on occasion of the 20th (the 20sen stamp), and 30th (the 30 sen stamp)  of the founding of Kitte Bunka Kai (Stamp Culture Association) .  There are several articles in Japanese Philately about the Yoshida family and the organizations and publications they founded.  One of the best is found in Japanese Philately, Vol. 19. pp 86-87.  Yoshida Ichirō and his son Yoshida Riichi were leading dealers, collectors, and philatelic publishers in Japan.  They were members, officers and supporters of the ISJP from its beginning until their deaths.

Altered Genuine Stamps

• Altered Syllabics on Cherry Blossom Stamps.
• Erased Specimen Overprint called “Sumiten” (Black Dot).

Forgeries

Dragon Stamps (1871-1872)

• 48 mon & 1/2 sen (1871 & 1872)
• 100 mon & 1 sen (1871 & 1872)
• 200 mon & 2 sen (1871 & 1872)
• 500 mon & 5 sen (1871 & 1872)

Dragon and Cherry Blossom Stamps

• Red Sankō overprints
• ABC Kurabu (ABC Club) forgeries 1950’s-1950’s

Forgeries described by A. M. Tracey Woodward

For more about Mr. Woodward click here.  His importance to this study is his discovery of what he termed Japanese “postal forgeries”.  That is, forgeries that were prepared and utilized to defraud the Japanese postal system. These stamps have become known as Woodward’s forgeries.  Not because he made them, but because they have never been attributed to anyone else and he was the first to describe them.

• The stamps described:
  • 1 sen blue issue without syllabic – issue of 1872
  • 6 sen violet brown (1874) and orange (1875) with syllabic タ (ta-16) .
  • 6 sen orange syllabic ヌ (nu-10) – issue of 1875
  • 6 sen orange syllabic ル (ru-11) – issue of 1875
  • 6 sen orange syllabic シ (tsu-19) – issue of 1875 government printing
  • 6 sen orange syllabic ネ (ne-20) – issue of 1875 government printing.   (Note: Syllabic on stamp is in this style for ne.)
    

Cherry Blossoms Stamps (1874-1876)

• 1/2 sen with crossed branches (1872)
• 1/2 sen brown with syllabics (1874)
• 1/2 sen gray with syllabics (1875)
• 1 sen blue or brown with crossed branches (1872 &1875)
• 1 sen blue or brown with syllabics (1874 & 1875)
• 1 sen brown with ribbon (1875)
• 2 sen yellow and rose with crossed branches
• 2 sen yellow with syllabics
• 2 sen yellow with ribbon
• 4 sen rose & green with crossed branches
• 4 sen  rose & green with syllabics
• 5 sen green no syllabic
• 6 sen violet brown & orange with syllabics below buckle
• 6 sen orange with syllabics in oval frame.
• 6 sen  – phantom varieties of both the 6 sen orange and violet brown
• 10 sen green without syllabics
• 10 sen green with syllabics
• 10 sen ultramarine with syllabics in box
• 12 sen wild goose with syllabics (1875)
• 15 sen wagtail with syllabic (1875)
• 20 sen violet without syllabic (1872 & 1874)
• 20 sen violet with syllabics (1874)
• 20 sen red with syllabic (1875)
• 30 sen black with crossed branches (1872 & 1874)
• 30 sen gray black with syllabic (1874)
• 30 sen violet with syllabics (1875)
• 45 sen eagle with syllabics (1875)