Post by Definitively Stamps on Dec 23, 2022 4:41:21 GMT
I mentioned in my intro thread that I am returning more seriously to my Japan collection and recently re-upped my membership with ISJP. I really want to focus on the Koban issues and specifically Roman Letter postmarks. I do, however, have a sadly neglected and somewhat empty page in my album for these issues. I have been snooping around eBay for months now and had been watching the below lot for about a week. The seller eventually offered me 26% off of his asking price and I could not refuse. No, these are not Roman letter postmarks but there are several that will fill some spaces in my album. I should be receiving this lot after the holiday.
Yes, I know these are not Roman letter postmarks but the stamps, for the most part, have good perforations all around and they looked in overall better condition. I also like the SON or close to SON postmarks...now to figure out dates and city names.
Post by Definitively Stamps on Jan 16, 2023 0:10:12 GMT
A recent acquisition when I became a returning member of the ISJP is this monograph, The Koban Forgeries of Japan. I thought it would be a good investment, especially when purchasing stamps off eBay and other auction/sales sites. It makes for interesting reading too.
Post by Definitively Stamps on Jan 16, 2023 0:19:45 GMT
I have started going through the Japanese stamps already in my collection in order to identify Roman letter postmarks. These are all Medium Single Circle postmarks with 2-figure years. The two 5-sen kobans are Sc. no. 74 and the 2 sen Chrysanthemum (not a Koban) is Sc. no. 96.
From left to right, the postmarks are Yokohama, May 22 with what looks like the top of a letter 9 in the year date spot, the middle stamp is Tokio, April 18, and possibly 1896(8?) and on the right, Tokio, October 12, 1905.
Post by Definitively Stamps on Jan 16, 2023 1:32:12 GMT
I think I failed to mention on this forum that I received this ISJP Monograph in the mail now over a month ago. I found it on eBay after receiving a suggestion from a Japan philately group I belong to on Facebook. I was able to find a copy from a seller in Minnesota for $3.97 + $3.00 shipping. It is like new and includes an addenda published in 1985. I have already gotten lost in it and this is what spurred me to focus on Roman letter postmarks on Kobans.
Post by Definitively Stamps on Jan 16, 2023 1:35:10 GMT
A gift from my son this year are the 3 volumes of the Japanese Stamp Specialized Catalogue, the JSCA. I have been reviewing it intensely over the last several weeks, especially volumes 1 and 3. My interest, of course, being Kobans and postmarks. My eyes are now open to the many perforation, color and paper varieties that are not listed in Scott. Wow! I am finding it difficult not to branch out and collect a broader swath of early Japanese stamps and postmarks.
Hi all, fascinating area for stamps and not one I know much about.. looked at it when I was working in Tokyo.. very briefly.. this is perhaps a good site for further reading,. I am sure there are many more
Post by Definitively Stamps on Jan 25, 2023 12:33:25 GMT
In the mail yesterday is this lovely 8 sen koban, violet brown, Sc. no. 61. I needed help with the bota postmark which I received from Ken on a Japan philately Facebook group I belong to. The JSCA mentioned earlier helps identify many if not most of these bota postmarks but they can be so similar in appearance that it is still hard to identify them without someone who is more knowledgeable. It is going to take practice on my part for a while. On top of that, this postmark strike is not particularly clean but in this instance the postmark is from the town/city of Okayama.
Post by Definitively Stamps on Jan 26, 2023 13:02:17 GMT
Another day, another Koban has arrived in the mail. My specific intention in collecting Kobans is to complete my album collection but also to focus on Roman Letter Postmarks such as this one.
The ISJP publication, The Roman Letter Postmarks of Japan, identifies this one as being a double circle postmark with Meiji Year, which in this case is Meiji 25 or 1892 in the Roman calendar. It looks like the date is February 5, 1892 and you can see the start of the city name of Yokohama. In the monograph this would, I think, be identified as postmark X-1 because the lettering also has serifs.
The stamp is a 5 sen U koban and is Sc. no. 74, issued in 1883.
Post by Definitively Stamps on Feb 9, 2023 1:56:34 GMT
A small lot I purchased of mixed Japanese and Chinese stamps, including a lone stamp from Manchukuo arrived in the mail today. I isolated the kobans so that I can show them here.
There are two copies of the 5 sen ultramarine, Sc. 74, 1 example of the 10 sen brown orange, Sc. 79, one copy of the 3 sen lilac rose, Sc. 76 and 1 copy of the 5 r gray black, Sc. 75. None of these are particularly valuable but the two Roman letter postmarks are what caught my eye.
Looking at the two Roman letter postmarks more closely and ignoring the center stamp, I am pretty sure both were postmarked in Kobe. The 10 sen stamp on the left is the most difficult but you can see the bottom stroke of the E and a little of the curve of the B on the left side. It is dated 24 August but the year date will forever be unknown.
The ultramarine 5 sen on the right is a Kobe postmark with 23 Aug and a two figure year of 00 possibly, though ink filled in the numbers and it could be anything from a 0 to a 9 or an 8.
These are both type XI-8 Medium Single Circle cancels with 2 figure year dates. The Kobe postmark is skewed so that the name of the city is not centered over the date, as if all the text of the postmark is rotated 30° to the right.
Post by Definitively Stamps on Feb 23, 2023 1:46:59 GMT
A few more Kobans came in the mail earlier this week. The group of 2 on the left represent postage due markings with the left-most, the 4 sen greenish-blue having a nice clear strike of a “Fu-soku” 不足 or insufficient payment cancellation. The next stamp, 2nd from the left has an older, 先拂又ハ不足 "Saki-Barai mata wa Fu-Soku, paid by recipient or insufficient cancellation. I felt bad for the seller out of the UK. I actually won these items back on December 31 and what with the postal strike and the Russian cyber attack on Royal Mail, he could not send it out to me. Unfortunately the seller got a lot of negative feedback but I don't know how well he communicated what was happening to his customers.
The stamp on the right is an on-piece 10 sen Koban with an China overseas medium circle, 2 figure year cancel. In this case postmarked Shanghai, IJPO on February 17, 1898. I was really happy to add such a nice clear strike of this cancel to my collection.
Post by Definitively Stamps on Feb 28, 2023 0:58:59 GMT
In the mail today from Japan, the JSCA (Japanese Stamp Specialized Catalogue, 1876 - 1908 on the left. This is a full color, Japanese/English Catalogue that is specific to the Koban and Kiku (Chrysanthemum) issues. This is a very detailed catalogue and exciting for me is the value breakdown for individual stamps with specific postmark types.
Also, the 2023 Sakura Catalogue of Japanese Stamps. This is the general overview catalogue of Japanese stamps to the present and presents full color images of ALL issued stamps...unlike some catalogs many of us are familiar with. Too excited!
Post by Definitively Stamps on Feb 28, 2023 2:05:39 GMT
An inexpensive eBay pick-up that also arrived in the mail today is this Medium Circle Shanghai, January 28, 1898 cancel on a 10 sen New Koban, Sc. no. 79. I am trying to be picky, which based on the catalogue I received today, is a good thing. In it, on the Postmarks valuation pages, there is the statement: "Value....is based on postmarks for which the name of the post office and the full date can be read as follows: On stamps: clear strikes of 90% image or more"
This is a good goal. I have a lot of partial strikes that I have found, just in the accumulation of stamps I have had over the years, and these are interesting but, in terms of collecting and having some sort of appeal at a future date when this collection may be sold or inherited, it is better to be judicious in what I purchase.
Ted Talks Stamps: " . . . because I’ve never bought stamps before"
Jan 8, 2024 1:31:54 GMT
ClassicPhilatelist: What a Trans World Airlines Coffee... this is another reason I don't live in the US anymore. >< "I think they're non-refundable"... What ivory tower do you live in. (If you don't get my coffee reference, message me).
Jan 8, 2024 3:46:32 GMT
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Ted Talks Stamps: I know TWA was the first airline to offer in-flight fresh-brewed coffee, but I don't get your reference.
Jan 9, 2024 16:51:46 GMT
fairyfoot: if only she'd been given hotwheels !
Jan 9, 2024 19:06:57 GMT
ClassicPhilatelist: I got cash out of a bank once that I was unhappy with, but I kept it because I didn't think I could get a refund.
Jan 10, 2024 23:17:02 GMT
Ted Talks Stamps: That's the same argument I use on those who say a stamp isn't worth anything unless it's served its postal use. I say, please give me whatever money you have. It's worthless since you haven't spent it.
Jan 13, 2024 21:40:37 GMT
ClassicPhilatelist: Ted, how did you manage to get 114 of your 122 users online all at the same time on 14 February at 735pm? Is that some kind of glitch in the status (See above Most Users Online area).
Feb 29, 2024 14:43:20 GMT
khj: My experience is that there are anywhere from 5-75 bots crawling around and any given 24hr period. I base this on a ProBoards forum I set up for a friend, which I keep closed while piece-meal constructing it waiting for her to provide each section.
Mar 3, 2024 8:01:05 GMT
khj: I noticed when I didn't do anything, I would have about 5-10 "visitors" in past 24 hrs. When I added a new section, the next 24hrs would bring 50-75 "visitors". Since nobody knew about the forum, yet, they must have been bots poking around.
Mar 3, 2024 8:02:03 GMT
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ClassicPhilatelist: Ah, it does say "Most users" not "Most members". So I get it now.
Mar 4, 2024 3:29:39 GMT
purrfin: Good Saturday morning!!! It's been a while since I've been out here. So much has happened in my life, some good some bad, but that's life. Just catching up on all the posts.
Mar 9, 2024 12:00:36 GMT
philatarium: Hi, Luree! Great to see you back. I noticed that I hadn't seen you on anywhere for a while.
Mar 9, 2024 21:36:54 GMT
Ted Talks Stamps: Huzza! Welcome back, Professor.
Mar 12, 2024 21:55:03 GMT
purrfin: Thanks, Dave and Ted. Good to be back.
Mar 13, 2024 23:38:48 GMT
ClassicPhilatelist: Yes Luree, we have missed your sincerely.
Mar 17, 2024 8:30:30 GMT
oscar72: hola, soy Oscar vivo en Monterrey colecciono estampillas desde 1983, colecciono un poco de todo el mundo y espero poder ayudar en lo que pueda a este foro.
Mar 30, 2024 18:56:13 GMT