Official Dragon Reproductions

Subtitled in English “A short History of Japanese Postage Stamps”, the Enkakushi was published on 6 March 1896 by the Communications Ministry of the Japanese Government.  It contains an account in Japanese and English  of the Japanese stamps and postal stationery issued from 1871 to 1894.  It ended with but did not include the first commemorative stamps.  The book is illustrated with actual copies of the stamps, post cards, stamped envelopes, newspaper wrappers, telegraph stamps, and “urgent message” labels.  There were no remainders of eight of the issues, so “official reproductions”  of these eight issues were specially made for the Enkakushi.  All of the reproductions are of better quality than the originals.

Reproduced:

• 1 and 2 sen Dragon stamps of February 1872
• The newspaper wrapper of Aptil 1872
• The first-issue 1/2 sen and 1 sen postal cards of 1 December 1872
• The second-issue 1/2 sen and 1 sen postal cards of December 1873
• The 3 sen Japaneses-style envelope of 1 December 1873

500 (some say 300) books were prepared for presentation to Japanese and foreign government officials and other prominent persons. No copies where sold or made available to the general public. It is estimated that as many as half were not distributed at the time. All the copies left in the Ministry’s possession are said to have been destroyed in the earthquake and fire of 1923.

Notice that many of the fine lines of the design are much clearer in the reproduction than in the original genuine stamp.

If you find you have this reproduction, don’t despair, it’s rarer and much more valuable than the genuine stamp.

Tayama: 1906

This 48 mon brown stamp is found in the only sheet produced in 1906.

Inscriptions translate:
48 mon with the stamp color.
Issued: Meiji 4.3 April 1871);
Off Sale: Meiji 5.2 (February 1872);
Invalidated: Meiji 22.11 (November 1889)

Cancel Type 1

Tayama: 1906

This 200 mon orange stamp is found in the only sheet produced in 1906.

Inscriptions translate:
200 mon with the stamp color.
Issued: Meiji 4.3 April 1871);
Off Sale: Meiji 5.2 (February 1872);
Invalidated: Meiji 22.11 (November 1889)

Cancel Type 1

Same vignette as 48 mon with 200 mon color and value indicia.

Tayama: 1906

This 500 mon green stamp is found in the only sheet produced in 1906.

Inscriptions translate:
500 mon with the stamp color.
Issued: Meiji 4.3 April 1871);
Off Sale: Meiji 5.2 (February 1872);
Invalidated: Meiji 22.11 (November 1889)

Cancel Type 2

Same vignette as 48 mon with 500 mon color and value indicia

Tayama: 1907 Sheet 1

This 1 sen blue stamp is found in sheet 1 produced in 1907.

Inscriptions translate:
1 sen with the stamp color.
Issued: Meiji 5.2 (February 1872);
Off Sale: Meiji 5.7 (July 1872);
Invalidated: Meiji 22.11 (November 1889)

Cancel Type 1

Same vignette as 100 mon with 1 sen indicia

Tayama: 1907 Sheet 1

This 2 sen orange stamp is found in sheet 1 produced in 1907.

Inscriptions translate:
2 sen with the stamp color.
Issued: Meiji 5.2 (February 1872);
Off Sale: Meiji 5.7 (July 1872);
Invalidated: Meiji 22.11 (November 1889)

Cancel Type 2

Same vignette as 48 mon with 2 sen color and value indicia.

Tayama: 1907 Sheet 1

This 5 sen green stamp is found in sheet 1 produced in 1907.

Inscriptions translate:
5 sen with the stamp color.
Issued: Meiji 5.2 (February 1872);
Off Sale: Meiji 6.5 (May 1873);
Invalidated: Meiji 22.11 (November 1889)

Cancel Type 2

Same vignette as 48 mon with 5 sen color and value indicia

Sheet measures 91 x 128 mm, is cream colored and does not have an outside folder. The yellowish thick paper is not like the white native paper of genuine 20 April 1871 stamps. Translations of the inscriptions at top – Line 1:  “Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the establishment of posts”; Line 2:  “(Reproductions of the postage stamps issued in 1871)”. Translation of the inscriptions below stamps – Line 1: “20 April 1951” ; Line 2:  “Ministry of Postal Services”

Postal Service Ministry:
20 April 1951

Ministry: 500 mon green dragon, cream colored  paper.  Original issue 20 April 1871.

Postal Service Ministry:
20 April 1951

Ministry: 100 mon blue dragon, cream colored  paper.  Original issue 20 April 1871.

JSPA:
2 February 1963, Sheet 10

JSPA: 48 mon brown dragon,  cream colored vertical laid paper.  Original issue 20 April 1871.

JSPA:
2 February 1963, Sheet 10

JSPA: 100 mon blue dragon, cream colored vertical laid paper.  Original issue 20 April 1871.

JSPA:
2 February 1963, Sheet 10

JSPA: 200 mon orange dragon, cream colored vertical laid  paper.  Original issue 20 April 1871.  Note: genuine stamp is a specimen with mihon overprint.

JSPA:
25 January 1962, Sheet 4

JSPA: 1/2 sen  brown dragon, cream colored horizontal laid paper.  Original issue February 1872.

JSPA:
25 January 1962, Sheet 4

JSPA:1 sen blue dragon,  cream colored horizontal laid paper.  Original issue February 1872.

JSPA:
25 January 1962, Sheet 4

JSPA: 2 sen orange dragon,  cream colored horizontal laid paper.  Original issue February 1872.