Japan Revenues - Hand Engraved Documentary Issues

Japan Hand Engraved (Etched) Documentary Revenue - First Issue (1873).

1 Sen Gray 

Printed on native paper, rouletted.   The early printing is in rather pale gray, with succeeding darkening of the ink.  The later printing is in dark grey to black. 


Early printing, in light gray.  The detail of the design is often hard to see.





(possibly) Middle printing.   The shade is much darker. 




Late printing.  Very dark grey to black.


The design consists of imperial crest (chrysanthemum) and various ornaments in the middle frame, four cherry blossoms (three stamen per petal) , denomination in Japanese on both sides, denomination in english at top and bottom in the outer frame and warning notification on both sides.   The warning notification says "Those who aim to fraudly manufacture this revenue stamp shall be severely punished".  The outer frame is filled with wave-form ornament called as "Sei-Gai-Ha" 青海波 , which is one of the traditional design pattern in Japan.  

One can notice the resemblance of the design and parts of this revenue to the Cherry Blossom stamps; the arrangement of the imperial crest, cherry blossom and denomination parts are indeed almost identical.   The most significant difference is the "印紙" (revenue stamp) inscription at the centre and the warning notification on both sides.    

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Edited Dec 31 2018 : Description of color corrected

Japan Hand Engraved (Etched) Documentary Revenue - First Issue (1873).

1 Sen Gray - on documents

This 1 Sen revenue was extensively used in various documents, and the most common usage is a single franked document.

As the revenue stamps do not bear any datestamp, collecting the entire document and to identify the date is of extreme importance.

This is an example of loan document, dated Meiji 14 (1881).  A rather late usage, with later printing revenue stamp in black.



Due to the complicated design, one can often find etching varieties (or "errors") in hand engraved revenues.  Some very minor, some pretty significant... and this is exactly the same as why the Japanese classic stamps attracts people.   Here in this example, the engraver has forgotten to complete one section of the wave-form ornament pattern.  One may notice a blank part just above the right-hand side value inscription. 



Displaying these document on an album leaf often requires multiple folding of the documents; I try to show the revenue, the date of the document and the title of the document.  

And of course, deciphering the calligraphy is another big task :-)

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Edited Dec 31 2018 : Description of color corrected

Japan Hand Engraved (Etched) Documentary Revenue - First Issue (1873).

5 Sen Orange Brown 

Printed on native paper, rouletted.

As like the 1 Sen Black, the color of this 5 Sen differs from orange-yellow (early printing) to more brownish color (late printing).  The shade may also differ significantly, from very pale impression in the early printing to dark in the late printing.


Early printing, very pale impression (maybe due to worn out ?)



Late printing, with darker shade.



Late printing, with more brownish color and clear impression. 


The overall design is almost identical to the 1 Sen gray, except for the shape of cherry blossom petals (one thick stamen per petal) and the value inscription frames.  

Thanks (?) to the complicated design, there are plenty of interesting etching varieties also in the 5 Sen revenue stamp.  Here's the most significant one that I possess; a double-missing error (variety) of the ornament parts. 

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Edited Dec 31 2018 : Description of color corrected

Japan Hand Engraved (Etched) Documentary Revenue - First Issue (1873).

5 Sen Orange Brown - on documents

Although not as common as the 1 Sen stamp, documents bearing 5 Sen stamp could be found quite often, but less chance to have multiples.   

This is a relatively early usage (December, Meiji 6 (1873)) with a strip of five 5 Sen stamps bearing orangish shade.  Apologies for the terrible condition with many traces of damage caused by silverfish... 

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Edited Dec 31 2018 : Description of color corrected

Japan Hand Engraved (Etched) Documentary Revenue - First Issue (1873).

10 Sen Carmine - on documents

The 10 Sen revenue stamps were used mostly on loan documents for higher monetary value over 100 Yen.  Thus it is naturally more hard to find a document, especially with multiple franking.  

This loan document from Meiji 9 (1876) has three stamps, total franking of 30 sen to cover the tax for a debt of 300 yen.  



This loan document from Meiji 15 (1882) has a single 10 Sen stamp, bearing darker shade from later printing. 

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Edited Dec 31 2018 : Description of color corrected

Japan Hand Engraved (Etched) Documentary Revenue - First Issue (1873).

25 Sen Yellow (Large Format) - on documents

The 25 Sen revenue stamps could be found on loan documents for higher monetary value over 250 Yen.   Of course, very tough to find multiple franking. 

Usage of Plate II, late printing together with 10 Sen red, early late printing. 




An interesting usage of Plate III, late printing on receipt document dated Meiji 21 (1888).  This  is an extremely late usage of this stamp. 



The stamp has a notable etching variety; the left margin line of right warning inscription is extending upwards.  

Japan Hand Engraved (Etched) Documentary Revenue - First Issue (1873).

50 Sen Pale Green (Large Format) - on document

Used for higher denomination documents (loan document and receipts); I only possess a fragment of a loan document, date unknown, with a mixed franking of one 25 Sen early printing, two First Issue 1 Yen (small format) and one 1 Sen mid-late printing.  



Close-up of the 25 sen stamp.  Note the lines (very faint) on left and top margins (thought to be used as a guide line for perforating (rouletting)) which also is a characteristics of early printing and could be found in other denomination of the first issue.

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- Edited Dec 31 2018 : Description of color corrected

Dear All,  

First of all I would like to express my thanks for the "likes" and warm messages on my thread !  

This concludes the explanation of the first six stamps issued in the First issue. I would love to see what my TSF colleagues have in their collection, so looking forward to see your examples !  And of course, any question and comments are welcome.   

Thanks for viewing. More to follow so please stay tuned !

- Hironobu

I would like to continue my posts for the three stamps belonging to the First series; 25 Sen, 50 Sen and 1 Yen with reduced size (small format),  issued on August 31st, Meiji 6 (1873).

The 50 Sen green was not issued and only the specimen printed as a mini-sheet exists.

The change of the stamp size was announced by Proclamation No.310, August 31st, Meiji 6 (1873) and this date is adopted as the date of the issuance.  The reason for the size reduction is considered either for convenience (the usual documents did not have enough empty room to attach large sized stamps, especially in multiples), or simply for manufacturing cost savings.  



Proclamation No. 310, August 31, Meiji 6.


- Hironobu

Japan Hand Engraved (Etched) Documentary Revenue - First Issue (1873).

50 Sen Green (Reduced Format, small size)

Printed on native paper, rouletted.   This stamp was unissued, and only the specimen in form of mini sheet issued on August 31, Meiji 6 (1873) exist.  Both images of the stamp and specimen sheet here are taken from Hasegawa catalogue (2016).



It is often said (in Japanese stamp catalogues) that this specimen sheet is the first mini sheet in philately.  


The stamp, cut out from the mini sheet.   Note the portion of the box-shaped cancellation. 

The color of the ink seems to be significantly darker than the large format issues (to be confirmed).

The specimen sheet also contains the 25 Sen Yellow and 1 Yen Blue reduced format stamps. This specimen sheet was attached to Proclamation No. 310. Hasegawa mentions only 10 specimen sheet is existing today.  The most sought-after material in Japanese revenue collecting.

- Hironobu

Japan Hand Engraved (Etched) Documentary Revenue - First Issue (1873).

1 Yen Blue (Reduced Format, small size)  - on document

This stamp was used mostly for loan document and receipts for high denomination over 1000 Yen, which is equivalent to about 20 million Yen today.

This is a single use of an early printing (Plate I) on a loan document of 1000 Yen, issued by Dai-139 National Bank on December Meiji 13 (1880).



Close up of the stamp, showing the lighter shade and plate characteristics of Plate I.



This is a mixed franking of a late printing (Plate II) together with three first issue 10 Sen red (also late printing) on a land loan document of 1300 Yen, dated September 10, Meiji 10 (1877).



Close up of the stamp, showing the darker shade and plate characteristics of Plate II.

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And this concludes the nine stamps belonging to the First issue. I personally am very fond of this series, having a sort of subtle charm found in the classics. The wide and yet not fully known varieties in engraving is also very attractive as a nice object for detailed research, and also providing us for new discoveries.

The second series will follow soon.

- Hironobu

Japan Hand Engraved (Etched) Documentary Revenue - Second Issue (1874).

Second issue, color change & new high value - introduction

The second issue of the Japanese hand engraved revenues comprises five stamps, of which three stamps are color change of the previously issued stamps, and two stamps newly issued.  

• Color change:  5 Sen, 10 Sen and 50 Sen, printed on native (Japanese) paper, rouletted.
  
  
• New high value stamps: 5 Yen and 20 Yen, printed on foreign (western) paper, rouletted.
  

The amendment of the printing color and addition of new high value stamps were declared in Proclamation No. 81, dated July 29, Meiji 7 (1874) together with amendments of revenue usage regulations, and announced to be effective September 1st, Meiji 7 (1874).    It should be noted that the color change of the 1 Yen stamp (categorized as fourth issue) is also declared here.






Proclamation No. 81, Meiji 7 (taken from National Diet Library Digital Archives).

However, (possibly) due to the delay in printing the new high value issues, the design of the six new stamps (four color changes and two high values) were declared in Proclamation No. 111, dated October 22, Meiji 7 (1874).  



Proclamation No. 111, Meiji 7 with facsimile of the sample stamps (taken from National Diet Library Digital Archives).

Despite the delay of the actual issuance (or release),  the date of issuance of these stamps are recognized to be September 1st, Meiji 7 (1874), which is the date announced in the Proclamation No. 81.   

The color of the stamps mentioned in the Proclamations are (literally) ; 

5 Sen : light (pale) "Sha" or "Soho" (赭 "Soho" or "Sha" = dark reddish-brown: name of color of earth/clay)
10 Sen : blue
50 Sen : orange-yellow
1 Yen : carmine (紅色)
5 Yen : deep purple
20 Yen : deep carmine

Some additional notes about the categorization of the issues. 

As mentioned,  the Proclamation No. 81 and 111 mention six (6) new stamps to be issued, including the 1 Yen carmine of the fourth issue.

This rather odd categorization of the 1 Yen carmine stamp comes from the usage or perforation and foreign paper. The other five denominations (5 Sen, 10 Sen, 50 Sen, 5 Yen and 20 Yen) both have rouletted and perforated issues, and the rouletted issues are hereby categorized as the Second issue.  

- Hironobu 

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- Edited Jan 1, 2019:  edited for Typos

Japan Hand Engraved (Etched) Documentary Revenue - Second Issue (1874).

5 Sen Light Brown - on documents

Compared to the first issue 5 Sen, this stamp is somewhat more difficult to find on documents.

This is an example of four stamps on a land sales certificate document, dated Meiji 26 (1893).  This is an extreme late usage of this stamp, even after the issuance of Chrysanthemum revenue.   



Close-up of the stamps (rotated to position). 




This is an example of mixed franking with a third issue 10 Sen blue and first issue 1 Sen gray (late printing, in black gray).



Close-up of the 5 Sen stamp.  



- Hironobu

Japan Hand Engraved (Etched) Documentary Revenue - Second Issue (1874).

10 Sen Blue - on document


An example of four stamps on loan document, dated October Meiji 14 (1881). 



Another example of two stamps on a loan document, dated June Meiji 13 (1880). 




Close-up of the 10 Sen stamps.



An interesting feature of this 10 Sen stamp might be the frequently observed engraving variety in the margin lines (often very minor variations).  For the two stamps shown above, there are at least four distinct variations; 



This trend could be also found in the first issue 10 Sen stamp (with more evident varieties in early printing) and possibly could be utilized for plate identification, especially for matching the identical plates between the first and second issue.

- Hironobu