The genuine stamps below with these syllabics do not have the secret mark.

Syllabic ヘ (he-6)

The genuine stamps below with these syllabics have the secret mark.

Secret Mark:  Syllabics カ (ka-14) – ム (mu-23)

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Postal Stationery

Anyone, at any time, can add fake perforations to a piece of postal stationery and there is no way of knowing how many times this has occurred or is occurring. The paper of the stamped envelopes resembles that of the foreign wove paper of the stamps.

• • • • First Issue 2 sen Yellow Stamped Envelopes:
        • Syllabics: イ (i-1). ロ (ro-2), ハ (ha-3), and ホ  (ho-5).
        • Central Characters: “Yūbin Kitte” ( 郵便 切手) or “Postage Stamp”.
      • Second Issue 2 sen Yellow Stamped Envelopes:
        • Syllabics: イ (i-1), ニ (ni-4), and ヌ (nu-10).
        • Central Characters: Yūbin Fūhi” (郵便 封皮) or “Postage Envelope”.

Only the first issue 2 sen stamped envelopes design with syllabics イ (i-1). ロ (ro-2), ハ (ha-3), and ホ  (ho-5) resemble the 2 sen stamp. The second issue of the 2 sen stamped envelope has a different central inscription that is easy to recognize and was never used on stamps. Although many of the features of the genuine stamp and stamped envelope are similar,  these major differences that makes identification easy.  Black arrows: The syllabic on the stamps is in a rectangular box. The syllabic on the stamped envelopes is in a hexagon box.  Red Arrows: The second issue postal stationery has a completely different set of central characters.

Syllabics and Known Forgeries

Secret Mark: Only Syllabics カ (ka-14),  ヨ (yo-15),  タ (ta-16),  レ  (re-17),   ソ (so-18),  シ (tsu-19).  ネ (ne-20),  ナ (na-21).  ラ (ra-22).  ム (mu-23) have the secret mark above.   Of these syllabics, ヨ (yo-15),  タ (ta-16),  レ  (re-17) and シ (tsu-19) have known forgeries.

No Secret Mark:  There is no secret mark on syllabics イ (i-1) – ワ  (13-wa).  Syllabics イ (i-1).  ロ (ro-2),  ハ (ha-3), ニ (ni-4),  ホ  (ho-5), and  ヘ (he-6), have known forgeries.  However there is a genuine 2nd issue stamped envelope with syllabic ヌ (nu-10) that could be perforated to look like a stamp.  It would be easy to recognize because of the characteristics above.

“Signed” Forgeries

Wada Plate 4

Wada retouched positions 4,5 and 6 of his Plate 4, which he had used to produce forgeries of 2 sen with crossed branches:

1. By adding a second stem of the paulownia flower to the left branch,
2. By changing position 4 to syllabic ロ (ro-2), position 5 to syllabic イ (i-1). and postion 6 to ハ (ha-3).

Wada Plate 4, State 4, Position 6

Syllabic ハ (ha-3), tiny sankō on each side of top central character.

Wada Plate 19

Wada Plate 19,   State 1,   Position 6

Syllabic ニ (ni-4), tiny sankō on each side of top central character.

Genuine Stamp with “Unsigned” Forgeries

Spiro: Syllabic レ  (re-17)

Genuine: West side – Two stems on paulownia flower.   Base of “2” ends in sharp upward stroke.  Forgery:  Only one stem on paulownia flower.   Base of “2” is almost straight.

 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, 2 sen yellow syllabic シ (tsu-19) – Design 108-B

States 1, 2, 3 & 5 (No. 25).

Characteristics of Design 108-B:

1. 1. 1. Top value panel touches outside frame line.
      2. Extra dot.

Reproductions

Japan Stamp Publicity Association

 JSPA Sheet No. 8 issued 15 October 1962

The stamp in this sheet reproduces the genuine issue of February1874 on  wove paper with syllabic タ (ta-16).    The sheet is on wove paper.

For more information click here.