You're right -- there is an 8-sen yen envelope, issued in 1949. In the Sakura and the Japan Specialized, it's catalogued as SE23. (Unfortunately, it's not priced as a cut single -- only as an entire.)
Having said that, there's something a little funny about this, and it makes me wonder if it's a forgery. I think, but am not sure, that there were some forgeries of the Showa definitives.
One of the reasons I think it could be a forgery is that the print quality is really awful. Now, I know the stamps of this era were poorly printed, during the post-war recovery era, but this one is really bad.
The other thing that's odd is that the cancel doesn't continue to the bottom of the stamp, and that can be a characteristic of a forged cancel, although I've mostly seen it for earlier forgeries. But I really don't know this area that well, so take it all with several grains of salt.
The other possible explanation is that the surface of the envelope was uneven. Perhaps there was something thicker at the top of the envelope that allowed for a better strike, and that thicker portion (perhaps a folded letter) stopped coincident with the bottom of the print design of that stamp.
I wish I could tell you more, but that's about all I've got.
the interrupted cancel caught my eye, too, but that then got me thinking postal stationary, believing the interruption might have been caused by a stamp uprating the card, and therby obsuring the cancelling device.
Thanks very much for the help. I wondered about the cancel too. I think your idea about what went wrong with the cancel has a lot of merit.
Here's a pic of the unused envelope (found on the internet, but from a knowledgeable seller I know), and it does look poorly done and pretty consistent with the used example in the original post, so that may be the explanation:
Hi Adam;
Philatarium said:
"You're right -- there is an 8-sen envelope, issued in 1949. In the Sakura and the Japan
Specialized, it's catalogued as SE23. (Unfortunately, it's not priced as a cut single -- only
as an entire.)"
This was in a page from a stock book I purchased as a lot along with a few other stock books. I'm just going through them cataloging them and happened across this one oddity. I sort of doubt many collect this kind of stamp, but you never know. Thanks again for the insights everyone!
Tusken -- I expressed it that way because that's what he has, and I couldn't provide a value for it, so my "sorry" reflected that I couldn't provide that additional information. I would never have foreseen anyone reading into it the subtext that you saw (and not feeling particularly happy about being jumped on).
Philatarium,
Those of us who know you know that you're an expert on Japanese stamps, and a sweetheart. Just ignore those who are not your equal.
"I would never have foreseen anyone reading into it the subtext that you saw (and not feeling particularly happy about being jumped on)."
Well, I am neither an expert on Japanese stamps nor, so far as I can gather, a sweetheart, but I do feel that by rushing so publicly to the aid of someone who has been 'jumped on' people run the risk of being seen as ganging up on the jumper. It's possible that Ken misinterpreted the word unfortunately, seeing it as an endorsement of a deterministic view of collecting which he clearly opposes. Then again, it can be read as unfortunately from the point of view of Dave's effort to assist Adam, as I guess it was meant to be.
Although I doubt the Tusken Raider needs me or anyone else to defend him, I think perhaps a PM of support for the injured party would have been the better way to go.
Everybody step back and take a deep breath, Guthrum is right, let's give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Neither Ken nor Dave are mean spirited folk, and if Ken mis-read Dave's post and responded inappropriately, he did so in a perceived effort at coming to the aid of another member. Nor would Dave ever preach ill or sarcastically toward another, and if Ken were better acquainted with him, he would have re-read Dave's post and realized the intent was aimed at helping in a positive way, and nothing negative was implied.
So let's get back to the issue at hand: that intriguing Japanese stamp.
I came across this imperforate variety of a Japanese miner stamp (Scott #430). I was wondering if this might be cut from a stamped envelope? I did find one picture of a stamped envelope that matched this.
Any help is very appreciated.
Adam
re: Japanese Miner Stamp
You're right -- there is an 8-sen yen envelope, issued in 1949. In the Sakura and the Japan Specialized, it's catalogued as SE23. (Unfortunately, it's not priced as a cut single -- only as an entire.)
Having said that, there's something a little funny about this, and it makes me wonder if it's a forgery. I think, but am not sure, that there were some forgeries of the Showa definitives.
One of the reasons I think it could be a forgery is that the print quality is really awful. Now, I know the stamps of this era were poorly printed, during the post-war recovery era, but this one is really bad.
The other thing that's odd is that the cancel doesn't continue to the bottom of the stamp, and that can be a characteristic of a forged cancel, although I've mostly seen it for earlier forgeries. But I really don't know this area that well, so take it all with several grains of salt.
The other possible explanation is that the surface of the envelope was uneven. Perhaps there was something thicker at the top of the envelope that allowed for a better strike, and that thicker portion (perhaps a folded letter) stopped coincident with the bottom of the print design of that stamp.
I wish I could tell you more, but that's about all I've got.
re: Japanese Miner Stamp
the interrupted cancel caught my eye, too, but that then got me thinking postal stationary, believing the interruption might have been caused by a stamp uprating the card, and therby obsuring the cancelling device.
re: Japanese Miner Stamp
Thanks very much for the help. I wondered about the cancel too. I think your idea about what went wrong with the cancel has a lot of merit.
re: Japanese Miner Stamp
Here's a pic of the unused envelope (found on the internet, but from a knowledgeable seller I know), and it does look poorly done and pretty consistent with the used example in the original post, so that may be the explanation:
re: Japanese Miner Stamp
Hi Adam;
Philatarium said:
"You're right -- there is an 8-sen envelope, issued in 1949. In the Sakura and the Japan
Specialized, it's catalogued as SE23. (Unfortunately, it's not priced as a cut single -- only
as an entire.)"
re: Japanese Miner Stamp
This was in a page from a stock book I purchased as a lot along with a few other stock books. I'm just going through them cataloging them and happened across this one oddity. I sort of doubt many collect this kind of stamp, but you never know. Thanks again for the insights everyone!
re: Japanese Miner Stamp
Tusken -- I expressed it that way because that's what he has, and I couldn't provide a value for it, so my "sorry" reflected that I couldn't provide that additional information. I would never have foreseen anyone reading into it the subtext that you saw (and not feeling particularly happy about being jumped on).
re: Japanese Miner Stamp
Philatarium,
Those of us who know you know that you're an expert on Japanese stamps, and a sweetheart. Just ignore those who are not your equal.
re: Japanese Miner Stamp
"I would never have foreseen anyone reading into it the subtext that you saw (and not feeling particularly happy about being jumped on)."
re: Japanese Miner Stamp
Well, I am neither an expert on Japanese stamps nor, so far as I can gather, a sweetheart, but I do feel that by rushing so publicly to the aid of someone who has been 'jumped on' people run the risk of being seen as ganging up on the jumper. It's possible that Ken misinterpreted the word unfortunately, seeing it as an endorsement of a deterministic view of collecting which he clearly opposes. Then again, it can be read as unfortunately from the point of view of Dave's effort to assist Adam, as I guess it was meant to be.
Although I doubt the Tusken Raider needs me or anyone else to defend him, I think perhaps a PM of support for the injured party would have been the better way to go.
re: Japanese Miner Stamp
Everybody step back and take a deep breath, Guthrum is right, let's give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Neither Ken nor Dave are mean spirited folk, and if Ken mis-read Dave's post and responded inappropriately, he did so in a perceived effort at coming to the aid of another member. Nor would Dave ever preach ill or sarcastically toward another, and if Ken were better acquainted with him, he would have re-read Dave's post and realized the intent was aimed at helping in a positive way, and nothing negative was implied.
So let's get back to the issue at hand: that intriguing Japanese stamp.