Old Koban: 1 Sen Black or Maroon

Genuine

Black: issued 17 May 1876 – Scott #56 and Sakura #62

Maroon: Issued 11 October 1879 – Scott #68 and Sakura #63

While the genuine stamps were issued years apart, the forgers chose to use the same plate and die and merely change the color. Spiro made only the black stamp. Maeda used one plate to print in the two colors.  Wada’s Plate 15 lithographed is printed in both colors.  Wada’s Plate 1 is found in both colors with different states as follows:

          • State I. Original state: fine engraving with sankō. (Both colors).
          • State 2. Later state: With sankō, major and rather crude retouching, principally to the inner value circle and oval band.  (Both colors)
Old Koban: 1 sen black

Genuine: Unused

Old Koban: 1 sen maroon

Genuine: Unused

Genuine & Forgeries with and without  Sankō

1 Sen Black

 

Maeda: 1 sen black with sankō

Maeda

 Lithographed

Sankō on either side above stars in oval band.

Spiro: 1sen black, no sankō

Spiro

Lithographed

No sankō.

Wada: Old Koban 1 sen black, Plate 1, state 1

Wada: Plate 1, State 1

Engraved

Sankō on either side of paulownia leaves. Printed cancel

Wada: Old Koban 1 sen black, Plate 1, state 2

Wada: Plate 1, State 2

Engraved

Like state 1, but with heavy retouching. with sankō

 

Wada: Old Koban, Plate 15

Wada: Plate 15

Lithographed

No sankō. Plate from a single die, but with slight differences.  Plate size not known.

1 Sen Maroon (Lake-Brown)

Maeda: 1 sen maroon with sankō

Maeda

Lithographed

Sankō on either side above stars in oval band.

Wada: Plate 1, state 1, printed cancels

Wada: Plate 1, State 1

Engraved

Sankō on either side of paulownia leaves. Printed cancel

Wada: Plate 1, state 2, printed cancel

Wada: Plate 1, State 2

Engraved

Like state 1, major retouching, with sankō

 

Wada: Plate 15, printed cancel

Wada: Plate 15

Lithographed

No sankō. Plate from a single die, but with slight differences.  Plate size not known.

The Printed Cancels For Each Wada Plate

Note:  Since the printed cancels are the same for each color. The lighter color was chosen to make the printed cancel clearer.

Wada: 1 sen, Plate 1 printed cancels

Wada: Plate 1

Fine Engraving

State 1: sankō with six different vignettes and all with printed cancels.

Wada: 1 sen, Plate 15 printed cancels

Wada: Plate 15

Lithographed

No sankō – the stamps and cancel were produced by multiple copying of a die and slight differences are found among individual copies. Types 1,3,& 4 printed cancels are similar but have slight differences. Both colors were produced with the same printed cancel.

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