Genuine

 Issued 3 October 1872 – Scott #18 and Sakura #14 with crossed branches on native paper

February 1874 Scott #25 and Sakura #27 on foreign wove paper

Size 24 mm x 27 mm

Only one plate for these stamps is known and it was used for both the native paper 1872 issue and the foreign paper 1874 issue.  The foreign paper printings are much rarer than the native paper printings because the 30 sen stamp with syllabics was issued shortly after the foreign paper was introduced.  Remember, It is not possible to accurately tell differences in paper from scans.  Sometimes a scan of the reverse of a stamp, clear of any other adhering paper helps, but usually these differences must be determined by an expert seeing the actual stamp.

Reminder:  Only 16 petals or florets in the genuine Kiku Crest (Chrysanthemum Crest).

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 mostly 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 1

 Sankō on both sides of central characters in middle

Mihon: Type 3

Proper 10 raimon on both East & West side

“Unsigned” Forgeries

Unknown Forger: Type 4

 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.

ABC (Kurabu) Club Forgery – Design 105-B

States 1,2 3 & 5 (No. 22).

Characteristics of Design 105-B:

1. 1. 1. Petals faint, broken or missing.
      2. Break in SW cherry blossom.
      3. Break in frame line under South “s”

Reproductions

Kitte Bunka Kai (Stamp Culture Association)

On the Occasion of their 30th Anniversary – 1974

Tayama

Tayama: 1908

This stamp is found in Sheet 1 included with the 1908 issue of the Communications Law Monthly Report.  Type 1 Cancel.

Inscriptions translate:
30 sen pale black;
Issued: Meiji 5.9 (September 1872);
Off Sale: Meiji 8.2 (February 1875);
Invalidated: Meiji 22. 11 (November 1889)

Click here to see more information about Tayama reproductions.