Cherry Blossoms: 10 Sen Ultramarine with Syllabics

Genuine

4 February 1875
Scott #45 and Sakura #46 with syllabics Syllabis ni   (ni-4) on hard foreign wove paper,  or syllabic   (ho-5) on soft porous wove paper.
Size 19 1/2 mm x 22 1/2 mm

The Government engraved all the plates for this stamp.  Although some plates are not fully verified, it is believed that there were 4 plates for syllabic Syllabis ni ni (4), and maybe two plates for syllabic ho (5).

Reminder:  Only 16 petals or florets in the genuine Kiku Crest (Chrysanthemum Crest).  There are no known forgeries of syllabic .

 

 

Genuine 10 sen ultramarine syllabic 4
Syllabic Syllabis ni (ni-4)
 
Genuine 10 sen ultramarine syllabic 4 copy 2
Syllabic Syllabis ni (ni-4)

Secret mark omitted

 
Genuine 10 sen ultramarine with syllabic 5
Syllabic (ho-5)
 

Secret Mark

This secret mark is found on both the genuine stamps with syllabic Syllabis ni and syllabic .  On the upper curls on the west dragon’s back the top curl originates from the lower curl well clear of the dragon’s back.  On the east dragon, the top curl originates close to or touching the dragon’s back.

Most forgeries and reproductions do not have this characteristic.  The ABC forgery, however, since was taken from a photo, does appear to have this characteristic.  But, like most of these forgeries, the printing is poor and easy to recognize.

Secret Mark 10 sen ultramarine

 

Differences Between Genuine and Forged

These characteristics are typical of most of the forgeries.  Not all forgeries have all the characteristics.

A:  Genuine:  In the bottom ‘kanji’ character of the central inscription, the top horizontal stroke is usually separated from the vertical stroke.  Forgeries:   In most forgeries this horizontal stroke touches the vertical.

BGenuine:   In the lower pair of curls on the right dragon’s back, the top curl originates from the lower curl clear of the dragon’s back.    Forgeries:   In some forgeries it originates from or very near the juncture of the lower curl and the back.

C:  Genuine:   There is a clear space between the rounded ends of the both on both the left and right side.  Forgeries:  There is no space, or very little space.

Important:  All 10 sen stamps in blue with syllabic syllablc ro (2-ro) are forgeries.  Wada printed his Plate 25, 10 sen green forgeries with syllabic syllablc ro in both the green and blue colors.  See under Wada 10 sen green for details.  Also the syllabic is not in a box as it is the genuine blue 10 sen stamps.

10 sen ultamarine - Genuine & Forged

 

Signed” Forgeries

Positions 1-3 of the Wada, Plate 29 forgeries below all have 14 petals in the Chrysanthemum Crest.  Positions 4-6 all have 15 petals.

 

 

 

Wada: Plate 29, state 1 with sankō vertical under central characters.
Wada: Plate 29, State I

Sankō vertical below central characters.

 

 

 
Wada: Plate 29, state 2 with sankō on each side of thin-lined central characters.
Wada: Plate 29, State 2

Sankō on either side of thin-lined central characters.

 

 

 
Wada: Plate 29, state 3 with sankō horizontal below central characters.
Wada: Plate 29, State 3

Sankō horizontal below central characters.

 

 

 
Wada: Plate 29, state 4 with sankō on each side of thick lined central characters.
Wada: Plate 29, State 4

Sankō on either side of thick-lined central characters.

 

 

 
Maeda: 10 sen ultramarine, type 1 with sankō
 
Maeda: Type 1 with sankō
 
Maeda: 10 sen ultramarine, type 2 with sankō
 
Maeda: Type 2 with sankō
 
 
Mihon: 10 sen ultramarine, type 1 with sankō
 
Mihon: Type 1 with sankō

17 petals in Chrysanthemum Crest

 
 
Mihon: 10 sen ultramarine, type 2 with sankō
 
Mihon: Type 2 with sankō

17 petals in Chrysanthemum Crest

 
 
Mihon: 10 sen ultramarine, type 3 with sankō
 
Mihon: Type 3 with sankō

16 petals in Chrysanthemum Crest

 
 

“Unsigned ” Forgeries

Most “Mihon” forgeries like those above are known without sankō, but as of this writing none have been found for this issue.

Genuine with Wada: Plate 29, state 5, 10 sen ultermarine
 
Wada: Plate 29

Either 14 or 15 petals in Chrysanthemum Crest in all positions.

 
Genuine with Wada: Plate 30, 10 sen ultermarine
 
Wada: Plate 30

Very insidious forgery.

 
Genuine with Sprio, 10 sen ultramarine
 
Spiro

 

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.

Genuine 10 sen ultramarine syllabic ニ with ABC: Design 119.
ABC (Kurabu) Club Forgery blue syllabic ニ – Design 119

States 1,  2, 3, & 5 (No. 38)

Characteristics of Design 119:

      1. Break.
      2. Cloud lines missing or blurred.

Reproductions

Tayama: 1912 Reproduction, 10 sen ultramarine

 

Tayama 1912

This 10 sen stamp, syllabic Syllabis ni  (ni-4) is found in sheet 2 included with the 1912 issue of the Communications Law Monthly Report.  It has the type 1 cancel.

Inscriptions translate:
10 sen blue;
Issued: Meiji 8.2 (February 1875);
Off Sale: Meiji 10.6 (June 1877);
Invalidated: Meiji 22. 11 (November 1889)

Click here to see more information about Tayama reproductions.

 

Japan Stamp Publicity Association

 

Genuiine with JSPA stamp from sheet No. 5, 10 sen ultramarine
 JSPA Sheet No. 5 issued 20 April 1962

The stamp in this sheet reproduces the genuine issue of 4 February 1875 on hard wove paper with syllabic ニ (ni-4).  The sheet is on wove paper.   For more information click here.

 
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