Genuine

Issued 1871 & 1872 Scott #3 & 7 and Sakura #3 & 7.

Size is 19.5 x 19.5 mm.

2 Sen – only one plate

Vignette plate same as 200 mon, plate 2. Only center value new.

Characteristics of 200 mon and 2 sen Plates

No Secret Mark on these values

The Wada forgeries of the 200 mon and 2 sen orange

Engraved

There are two plates of six of Wada forgeries of the 200 mon and 2 sen dragons — A & B.  Wada would use the same plate and erase a sankō or mozō and put is in a different position or remove it altogether.  He did whatever suited him at the moment. New information about his forgeries can still be discovered.  His Plate A 200 mon is found with sankō in four different positions, mozō in one position, and with no sankō or mozō.  As far as we can determine, his Plate B was always without “signed” markings.  The 2 sen, Plate A had a sankō in 3 positions.  Plate B does not have any “signed” markings.

Wada “signed”  forgeries

Wada:  100 Mon, Plate A: Black mozō – high above central value characters

There is a scan of the 2 sen value with a black mozō above the central value characters, but the resolution of the scan is so poor it can not be enlarged to show here.  It is noted on the ISJP site at https://isjp.org/cd-additions-dragons/. This is probably a good time to remind readers that these forgers did what they pleased and there may be more to discover about their wares.  Also, it can not be said that all forgeries exist.  Anyone can make a new forgery tomorrow. This study can never be complete. Study the genuine stamps…that’s the best way to identify a forgery.

LME

Wada Plates with no Sankō or Mozō

Wada:  2 Sen, Plate B

Note: All Wada Plates with or without sankō or mozō imitate the plate 2 design of the 200 mon; i.e. none have the dot in NW corner raimon.  Also notice middle talon of the middle dragon claw on the W points E or is short.  On the genuine this talon points S.

Maeda “signed”  forgeries

Lithographed

Note:  All known Maeda forgeries imitate Plate 2 of the 200 mon and 2 sen genuine stamps.  All types probably exist for both values, but at this time there are no scans available.

Maeda:  2 Sen, Type 4, sankō in color of design

Maeda Types with no Sankō

Unknown Forger: “signed”  Mihon

The specific types for this unknown forger were determined by the # of raimon in the N and W borders, not by the size and position of the “mihon” characters. There are 5 raimon on all sides of the genuine stamp.  The “mihon” characters on the 200 mon values are located on each side at the top of the bottom value character.  The 2 sen position of “mihon” characters is on each side of the bottom value character near the bottom.

 2 sen, Type D

Hirose Forgeries

Engraved

All of the designs for both the mon and the sen values, were printed with the same engraved plate. Only the values and color were changed.  Hirose imitated the basic vignette of the 48 mon and 1/2 sen for all the dragon values.

Varro E. Tyler in his book Philatelic Forgers, Their Lives and Works, pp 53-54, says that the forgeries of the 1871-1872 Dragon stamps were produced in sheets of 48 (6 x 8) from two engraved dies. The two dies have been designated as A-die and B-die. The A-die was later retouched altering the right upper claw of the east dragon, leaving the claw shorter and incomplete. The eight different inscriptions for the black values required separate dies.

Hirose:  2 sen, Die B –  circles in shippō, but + in genuine shippō

Spiro  “unsigned”

Lithographed

Spiro: 2 sen, type 3, dots in shippō, “elephant trunk” NW fire flame

Kasahara? “unsigned”

Engraved – Most deceptive forgeries

 Probably Kasahara:  2 sen –  very deceptive forgery

“Unsigned”  – ABC Kurabu (ABC Club) – 1950’s-1960’s

More information about the ABC Kurabu Forgeries and Vignettes click here.

ABC Kurabu (ABC Club) 2 sen – Vignette H

States 1, 2 & 3 of the 2 sen (No. 7).  State 4 is shown above and has no number on back.

Characteristics of Vignette H:

1. 1. 1. Break in the frame line.