Cherry Blossoms: 30 Sen Gray Black with syllabic
Genuine
Issued February 1874- Scott # 31 and Sakura #25 with syllabic 
(1-i) on native laid paper
Issued 1874 – Scott #39 and Sakura #35 on with syllabic (1-i) foreign wove paper
Size 24 mm x 27 mm
It is thought that only one plate for these stamps was made in February 1874 just before the foreign paper became available. When the foreign paper became available, the printing and distribution of the 30 sen, syllabic (1-i) native paper stopped and all the remaining stamps were put in storage. Printing on the foreign paper continued from the same plate. The native paper variety is much rarer than the foreign wove paper variety.
Reminder: Only 16 petals or florets in the genuine Kiku Crest (Chrysanthemum Crest).
Syllabic (1-i)
With mihon overprint
Syllabic (1-i)
Differences Between Genuine and Forged
These characteristics are typical of many of the forgeries. However there are some forgeries by Maeda, Hirose, and an unknown forger that appear more like the genuine and therefore are more insidious. If the stamp appears not to have the characteristics described here, be sure and check the individual forgeries by the forgers below.
From top to bottom:
- Genuine: Stamen in petals of corner cherry blossoms are club-shaped. Forgeries: Stamen are often short and straight.
- Genuine: Corner cherry blossoms usually fill the area in which they are enclosed. Forgeries: There is a noticeable space between the blossoms and the scrolls at the side panels.
- Genuine: Line is zagged. Forgeries: Line is often smooth and shallow.
- Genuine: The shading lines end in a manner that makes them parallel to the outer row of dots. Forgeries: Shading lines are often shorter and the end in a manner that makes them curve away from the row of dots.
Also Genuine: Have 10 raimon at East and West and 8 raimon at North & South. Forgeries: Some other number of raimon in these positions.
“Signed” Forgeries
Wada: Plate 28, State 2
Sankō above syllabic
Maeda: Type 3, State 1
Sankō in S panel on either side of “30 sen”
“Unsigned” Forgeries with Syllabic 
Most of the “unsigned” forgeries below are deceptive. The two exceptions are the Spiro, and ABC forgeries. The ABC design is accurate, but printing is very poor. Some of the others reproduce the genuine design accurately.
Maeda: State 2, no sankō
Many of the stamen in the corner cherry blossoms are straight lines instead of club-shaped.
Hirose: (One Die Only)
With red sankō overprint but known without overprint.
Forgery characteristics:
Star instead of flower; weak veins in leaf; and bud missing.
Spiro: 30 sen with syllabic (1-i)
ABC Kurabu (ABC Club) - 1950's-1960's
For more information about the ABC Kurabu Forgeries click here.
Note: Numbers in parenthesis and bold are the catalog numbers found on reverse of the forgeries. State 4 forgeries did not have any numbers on the reverse. It is believed that State 4 forgeries exist for all different values. But only a few State 4 examples were available for examination. When State 4 was available for examination, the design type is recorded.
ABC (Kurabu) Club Forgery, 30 sen gray black syllabic イ (i-1) – Design 110-A
States 1, 2, 3 & State 5 (No. 20).
Characteristics of Design 110-A:
-
-
- Break in frame line.
- Slanted “0” in South “30”.
- Break in frame line.
-
ABC (Kurabu) Club Forgery, 30 sen gray black syllabic イ (i-1) – Design 110-B
States 1, 2, 3 & State 5 (No. 30).
Characteristics of Design 110-B:
-
-
- Break in frame line.
- Petals of crest do not meet to form perfect circle.
-
These forgeries by unknown forger(s) are deceptive. They are said to be typographed and therefore not deceptive when looking at the original, but become much more deceptive when looking at scans because the design itself is reproduced well.
Unknown Forger: Type 1- Forgery ?
If this stamp is typographed as described on the CO-ROM monograph, it is a forgery. However without seeing the actual stamp, it is impossible to tell from a scan whether it is typographed or engraved. If it is an engraved stamps, it is either genuine or one of the most deceptive forgeries ever seen. If typographed, the design is very deceptive.
Unknown Forger: Type 2
Genuine: Kiri (Paulownia) branch has 3 flowers. Forgery: branch has 2 flowers with a third flower lower coming off the leaf.
Genuine: Stem of each side of syllabic touches or almost touches the corner ornament. Forgery: More space between stem and corner ornament on both sides.
Unknown Forger: Type 3
This is another very deceptive forgery, but the characteristics shown by the red arrows, do not occur all in the same position in the genuine.
Forgery Characteristics: Dots at the edge of the corner scrolls are not perfectly aligned. The oval that encloses the syllabic is slightly flat at the NW.
Unknown Forger: Type 4
Genuine: Corner ornament inner zagged line more even and closer to back section. Forgery: V shaped notch in inner line and further away from back section.
Genuine: Stem of each side of syllabic touches or almost touches the corner ornament. Forgery: More space between stem and corner ornament on both sides.
Reproductions with Syllabic
Japan Stamp Publicity Association: 20 November 1962
Design taken from a genuine stamp, but the reproduction is of superior quality when compared to the originals. This is from card No. 9 in the series and is on wove paper to imitate the wove paper of the original. Click here to see more information about JSPA reproductions.