Sale 1384 — 2026 Rarities of the World
Sale Date — Tuesday, 23 June, 2026
Category — Early Postal History of Japan, Mail to Philippines
First Mail from French Post Office in Yokohama — "Yokohama Paq. Fr. Dupleix 12 Sept. 65". Messageries Imperiales octagonal datestamp on blue folded letter datelined "Yokohama 11 Sept 1865" from Gutschow & Co. to A. M. Pollak in Vienna, Austria, sender's directive "Via Marseille", manuscript "48" kreuzers due rate and red crayon stroke, faint French receiving backstamp (Marseilles? Nov. 3?), red Vienna receiving backstamp (Nov. 6), scattered toned specks
VERY FINE. AN IMPORTANT EARLY FRENCH MAIL COVER FROM JAPAN, CARRIED SEPTEMBER 12, 1865, ON THE FIRST TRIP OF THE DUPLEIX FROM YOKOHAMA TO SHANGHAI AFTER THE FRENCH POST OFFICE IN YOKOHAMA WAS OFFICIALLY OPENED. MATSUMOTO REPORTED ONE COVER DATED SEPTEMBER 12, 1865, WITH THE REGULAR YOKOHAMA DATESTAMP, AND WAS APPARENTLY UNAWARE OF THIS COVER WITH THE MARITIME DATESTAMP.
According to the Matsumoto book (pp. 22-23) the Messageries Imperiales packet Dupleix arrived in Yokohama on September 7, 1865, with all of the supplies needed by the newly opened French post office. Matsumoto considers this date to be the opening day of the French Yokohama post office. The first mail from Yokohama was carried on the return trip of the Dupleix from Yokohama to Shanghai, departing September 12, 1865. The Matsumoto book illustrates one cover carried on this trip, which has a red September 11 "Yokohama Bau Francais" datestamp and "5118" dotted diamond cancels on French stamps paying postage to France (Fig. 4-3). The book describes that cover as the "unique example ever known by the first dispatch," which means Matsumoto was still unaware of the cover offered here at the time of publication in 2012. Matsumoto shows another cover from the Pollak corespondence dated October 17, 1865 (p. 25).
The cover offered here is important not only as a first trip from the French Yokohama post office, it is the only recorded cover with the "Yokohama Paq. Fr. Dupleix" datestamp used September 12, 1865. Any example of this marking is very scarce, but this cover is arguably the most outstanding.
Forwarded by U.S. Consul, Kanagawa, Japan. Double-oval and stars handstamp fully struck on blue folded letter in German datelined "Yokohama 2 July 1866" to Gildemeister Muecke and Co. in San Francisco, stationery with Kniffler & Co. embossed crest, their Yokohama office blue oval handstamp on address side, sender's directive "pr Jeanie"--carried on the British brig Jeanie, departing Kanagawa July 6, 1866, arriving San Francisco August 13--bold "San Francisco Cal. Aug. 14" (1866) double-circle datestamp and blue crayon "Due 8" cents double rate, pencil "1562" box number, August 14 receipt docketing on inside panel
VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE USE OF THE UNITED STATES CONSULATE KANAGAWA OVAL HANDSTAMP ON MAIL FORWARDED BY THE U.S. CONSUL BEFORE THE POST OFFICE WAS ESTABLISHED IN JULY 1867.
The earliest recorded use of the Kanagawa U.S. Consulate oval as a mail-forwarding mark is on three covers sent in January 1866 during Col. George S. Fisher's term as U.S. Consul, which have San Francisco February 5, 1866, arrival datestamps. Very few covers with the Kanagawa oval are recorded during the rest of Fisher's term, which ended December 31, 1866. In August 1867, during General Julius Stahel's term as Consul and the first U.S. postmaster in Yokohama, the first use of the Kanagawa oval as an official U.S. Post Office marking is found on six recorded covers carried on the August 24, 1867, trip of the PMSS Colorado.
10c Green (68). Dark color, just tied by part of rim of "Forwarded by U.S. Consul, Kanagawa, Japan" double-oval and stars handstamp used as a cancelling device on Oct. 24, 1867 datelined folded letter from Charles Thorel & Co., Yokohama, Japan to Boston, sender's notation "via San Francisco" and inside with "Pr. Great Republic", carried on the maiden return trip of the PMSS Great Republic, departing Yokohama Oct. 25, 1867, arriving San Francisco Nov. 19, clearly struck red "China and Japan Steam Service" oval handstamp applied in San Francisco, "San Francisco Cal. Nov. 20" (1867) circular datestamp
FINE. ONE OF EIGHT COVERS WITH THE U.S. CONSULATE KANAGAWA OVAL AND STAMPS, AND THE EARLIEST USE OF THE "CHINA AND JAPAN STEAM SERVICE" OVAL HANDSTAMP.
The Kanagawa U.S. Consulate oval was first used as a mail-forwarding mark on covers sent during Col. George S. Fisher's term as U.S. Consul. Beginning in August 1867, during General Julius Stahel's term as Consul and the first U.S. postmaster in Yokohama, the Kanagawa oval was used as an official U.S. Post Office marking and as a cancelling device on stamps. The eight covers with U.S. stamps cancelled by the Kanagawa oval are:
1) 10c No. 68, to Macondray & Co., SF Sep. 14 (1867), "CHINA STEAM", ex Ishikawa, Magnolia Part 1 (Sale 1248, lot 2075)
2) 10c No. 68, to Macondray & Co., SF Sep. 14 (1867), "CHINA STEAM", Mitsui (Postal Museum Japan)
3) 10c No. 68 five, to Milan, Italy, SF Sep. 14 (1867), via NY and France, ex Magnolia Part 2 (Sale 1261, lot 742)
4) 5c No. 76 pair, to Boston, SF Sep. 15 (1867), Mitsui (Postal Museum Japan)
5) 2c No. 73, circular to Macondray & Co., arrived SF Sep. 14, 1867 (no SF markings), ex Faust (Sale 1181, lot 1631), Magnolia Part 4 (Sale 1271, lot 313)
6) 10c No. 68, to Boston, SF Nov. 20 (1867), "China and Japan Steam Service", ex Gilbart, the cover offered here
7) 5c No. 76 pair, to Baltimore, SF Jan. 1 (1868), "China and Japan Steam Service", ex Magnolia Part 3 (Sale 1261, lot 741)
8) 5c No. 76 pair, to Wilmington Del., SF Jan. 1 (1868), "China and Japan Steam Service", ex Ishikawa and Dr. Spicer, Magnolia Part 4 (Sale 1271, lot 314)
Four of the above have 10c 1861 stamps (one is in a museum), and only three have the "China and Japan Steam Service" handstamp. The covers with the stamps cancelled by angled strikes of the Kanagawa oval, showing just a portion of the rim, appear to have been deliberately cancelled in this manner, possibly to avoid confusion.
Illustrated in Frajola-Perlman-Scamp book (p. 131). Ex Gilbart.
10c Green, E. Grill (89). Horizontal pair, tied by segmented cork cancels on Oct. 22, 1870 docketed folded cover from Yokohama, Japan, to France via San Francisco and New York, "Yokohama Japan Oct. 23" circular datestamp ties right stamp--carried on the PMSS China, departing Yokohama Oct. 23, 1870, arriving San Francisco Nov. 18 — "San Francisco Cal. Nov. 18" double-circle datestamp struck on back, red "New-York Nov. 26" circular datestamp, from New York the cover was carried on Compagnie Generale Transatlantique (CGT) packet Ville de Paris, red "Etats-Unis Paq. Fr. H. No. 3, 30 Nov. '70" octagonal datestamp applied on the ship in New York harbor, Brest transit and receiving backstamps and "8" decimes due handstamp, pair with a bit heavy horizontal crease from file fold and some perf flaws from placement near edge
FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE COVER FROM JAPAN TO FRANCE WITH THE U.S.-JAPAN AND U.S.-FRANCE RATES PAID BY A PAIR OF 10-CENT E GRILL STAMPS. MOST OF THE COVERS WITH THIS RATE COMBINATION HAVE 1869 OR BANK NOTE ISSUE STAMPS.
Ex Gilbart. The pencil notation "Yokohama" is in Stanley B. Ashbrook's hand.
10c Brown (161). Cork cancel, matching "Des Moines Ioa. Oct. 11" (1875) circular datestamp on cover with embossed initial "B" faintly addressed to Yeddo (Tokyo), Japan, sender's directive "Care of U.S. Legation", attempted routing through San Francisco, but underpaid for the 15c treaty rate to Japan (in effect for one year in 1875), "San Francisco Cal. Oct. 21" circular datestamp and "T" in circle due handstamp, re-routed through New York with "New York Br. Transit Oct. 28" backstamp, sent via Great Britain with manuscript "1/6" due marking and red "London AV NO 8 75" backstamp, ultramarine "Hong-Kong Marine-Sorter Singapore-to Hong-Kong DE 13 23 75" double-circle datestamp on back and matching "COLONY'S SHARE OF FINE 1" with "1" (pence) in blue crayon which is also used to add 1p to 1sh6p due for a stated total of "1/7", manuscript "due 38 cts" marking equals 1sh7p due which was presumably paid by U.S. consul, 4s internal postage to Tokyo was paid with Japan, 1875, 4s Green on Foreign Wove Paper (42), Syllabic 3, tied between perfs at right by single ring cancel, "Yokohama A JA 3 76" backstamp, opening tear at top
FINE. A RARE COVER COMBINING A UNITED STATES 10-CENT BANK NOTE STAMP AND THE JAPAN 4-SEN STAMP ON A COVER FROM IOWA TO TOKYO, JAPAN.
This cover and two similar uses are described in an article by Philip Kaye (London Philatelist, Jan.-Feb. 2023). He notes the Japan stamp pays the internal rate from Yokohama to Tokyo, and that this was carried eastwards thru England as opposed to westward thru San Francisco. With 2023 P.F. certificate.
Japan, Used in China, 1875, 4s Green (42). Syllabic 3, with selvage at left, used as return postage and cancelled by circle of Vs cork cancel with "I.J. Postal Agency, Shanghai OCT 22" double-circle datestamp on 1879 Bavaria 10pf Red Postal Card, redirected to Ingolstadt, Germany, card originating in Germany, cancelled by Ingolstadt Aug. 15 circular datestamp, addressed to German Consul in Peking, China, sender's directive "via Russland", Russian transit from outgoing mailing, Yokohama (Nov. 1) and San Francisco (Nov. 21) transit and Ingolstadt (Dec. 13) arrival datestamps from return mailing
VERY FINE AND SPECTACULAR USE OF THE 4-SEN CHERRY BLOSSOM ON A REDIRECTED POSTAL CARD FROM GERMANY AND USED THROUGH THE JAPANESE POST OFFICE IN SHANGHAI.
A wonderful "around-the-world" postal card utilizing four separate postal authorities — the German, Russian, Japanese, and American postal systems. This cover took approximately four months to make this round trip (Aug. 15-Dec. 13, 1879).
Japan, 1875, 30s Violet (49). Syllabic 3 (ha), used along with a pair of 1879 50s Carmine (71) on large (248 x 150mm) cover with pre-printed address of the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs in Rome and from the Italian Legation, stamps tied by negative "Y" cancel (Yokohama foreign mail), sent registered with Yokohama violet registered handstamp of Mar. 1, 1884, via San Francisco (registered backstamp Mar. 24), and New York (Apr. 1 backstamp), where a registry label was affixed, Rome receiving backstamp of Apr. 14, violet Italian Legation handstamp seal the cover on back, cover with wrinkles in the corners and a faint vertical bend at left, which is typical on a large-size envelope, and actually in far better condition than would be expected on such a cover spending 45 days in transit over three continents
VERY FINE AND INCREDIBLY RARE COVER CONTAINING THE 1875 30-SEN VIOLET AND PAYING 130 SEN IN POSTAGE.
Any cover containing the 1875 30s Violet stamp is rare. Adding to the rarity of this cover is its use with two of the 50s Old Koban issue. The 130 sen in postage was an enormous amount in 1884, and could only pay for a large multi-weight cover to a foreign destination.
The recipient was Pasquale Mancini, Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1881-1885. He was also an important figure in the development of the unification of Italy and in forming the Triple Alliance with Germany and the Austria-Hungarian Empire.
With 2019 Philatelic Federation of Japan certificate.
30c Orange (71). Used with 24c Red Lilac (70) and 3c Rose (65), deep rich colors, tied by perfect strikes of Boston large "Paid" grid cancel on blue folded letter to George H. Peirce in Manila, Philippines, Robert B. Storer blue oval handstamp and directive "Via Marseilles", red "Boston Br. Pkt. Paid Dec. 13" (1862) circular datestamp, red crayon "36" credit, bold "1d" British Colonial credit handstamp, red London Paid datestamp (Dec. 24) also ties two stamps, "Hong Kong C FE 11 63" and "Manila Iss. Filips. 15 Feb. 1863" backstamps, "2" due handstamp applied in Philippines, contents mention war news including bombardment of Fredericksburg, stamps lifted and hinged in place, minor bleached spots
VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE AND BEAUTIFUL THREE-COLOR COMBINATION FRANKING TO THE PHILIPPINES.
George H. Peirce came to the Philippines from New England as a 19-year old clerk in the firm of Peele, Hubbell & Company. By 1862 he was responsible for buying one-third of all the abaca exported from the Philippines. In 1868 he became a partner in the firm. The Peirce correspondence began to leak out into the marketplace in the 1980s, and in 1994 the auction sale of 29 Peirce covers, under the name "The Manila Find," was held by H. R. Harmer of New York. Over half have their stamps either reattached by hinges or missing.
Ex "Manila Find" and "Angel". With 1994 P.F. certificate.