The Koban Study Group 小判

2022-06-04

KAMIGATA album

more of a stockbook ... pages for many nations

2022-06-03

MAEDA - SPIRO

Maeda is source of SPIRO kobans ... compare

positions are unique drawings
size of kiku crest
corner detail
frame
kanji center design and oval

IJP 2sen drab had highest production

MAEDA 2sen is scarcist of lithos

IJP

MAEDA 10sen error sheet

this plate demonstrates complexity of forgery design ... both japanese and euro forgers (Torres) show handrawn anomolies

plate errors shown in RED
romaji is different from position to position
press ctrl + to enlarge ...

MAEDA 15sen NK fakes ... photolithography

TRANSFER PROCESS:

In another of Senefelder’s experiments, he found an additional

attribute of lithography: a drawing or

writing done in special ink on special paper

could be transferred from the paper to the lithographic

stone where it became the printing

image. This allowed the artist to draw the

original reading right instead of backwards,

which was necessary when drawing directly

onto the stone. The same process could used

to transfer an image printed by other printing

processes onto the stone. This allowed several

identical images to placed on the same stone,

thus increasing productivity. It also helped

increase the popularity of lithography as a

copying process because previously printed

images could be transferred to the stone to be

reproduced.

In an attempt to reduce his publications

costs, he tried to produce his own copperplate

engravings. Making reverse images in copper

was a very difficult process, a process that

required much time and practice to master.

this is first MAEDA NK fake derived from KB4 plate

superimposed images
frame deformed
romaji irregular

MAEDA 1sen NK mihon ... 米洪

spiro larger die

2 plate positions - shape of 1
romaji small P
Sn
mihon 米洪
5x5 matrix

IJP 1sen NK colour change

oval matches
shades are unknown in JSCA 2021
dull appearance

2022-06-02

IJP 2sen PD

rare X form

japanese unpaid letters were common, as usually franked by post office clerks.

buying postage stamps was not a habit in early years

collect on delivery

2012 ISJP logo ...

this is my design - respecting the canadian group

and current isjp.org ...

mayeda in canada ...

Harold Tsukane Mayeda

RPSC #5359 (1909-99) JPSSC#2

was secretary of the forerunner club, later chartered as ISJP.org.
working with Capt Talbot, as japanese translator, their goal was to produce a manual for the japanese imitations that collectors cherish .... both members .....RPSC

RPSSC#1 TALBOT, William Harry 1896-1974 . Philatelic Congress Handbook, 1946, p.65. Japanese Philately, June 1974, Volume 29, Issue 3, Cover & pp.126-130.

the first compendium was Kristian Wilhelmsen 's work of 1980.* Varro Tyler of the ISJP then collaborated with a monograph on the koban imitations. in 1992, I urged the ISJP to edit and review the imitations in a new colour study. the first edition ISJP CD was released in 1995 - 50 years later. an appended V2, followed in 2002.

* the b/w photography is excellent, and I still refer to this study.

2022-06-01

MAEDA 5rin sheet vars ...

despite high volume production, sheets are scarce and command 26000 ¥ @ auction. here are my findings of errors ...

MAEDA 5rin B16 B17 ex DE

anomolies vary between positions as spiro sheets
5 R and romaji : missing n Rn /
13x15 perf

NB UR corner dot constant...

compare below ... small S 5 romaji similar

B16

Spiro

NB center kanji

D11 / Kamigata

discovered in germany

same anomolies as B16

5x5 matrix

proof : NB short T

2022-05-31

the london press ... 1900

early catalogers of stamps were Moens of Belge , Fournier of Berne, Torres of Spain, and Maeda and Wada of Japan. the facsimile makers were all "cast from the temple of philately" by various society leaders. and a deluge of reports followed : "the spud papers" .

further, early collectors had difficulty finding foreign mail issues, so facsimile albums and catalogs filled the gap. they were pioneers of philately...

... as shown, the main competition that maeda and wada faced, was the IJP itself releasing remainder sheets @ 15% of face value. so who had the lower cost of production ? as packet demand increased, so did supplies of used genuine and fake items...

london CV 1900

note the evaluation reflects currency exchange, rather than scarcity value. the 50sen costs more than a 45sen.

2022-05-30

B10 45 and 50sen repros and manipulations ...

from japan, I have seen 2 imperf b10 repros of the 45sen and 50sen kobans ... both bear mihon markings ... also an unused 1yen has appeared with inverted crest on white paper ... a warning was posted in JP-isjp.org some years ago, mentioned that kobans exist with altered perfs, and fake mihon ovpts ... (never issued by IJP. regretably, there was no followup, identifying which kobans were on the list ... a tokyo group was the source. caveat emptor : beyond the imitation series, some skilful alterations of genuine issues or "gizu" exist ... follow the latest JSCA tables closely, and seek expertizatiron when required ... hopefully, the JPS expert committee will offer new advice to collectors.

incorrect design : flowers , romaji ... does not match any known forgers

die size incorrect dimensionally

enkakushi fake

Dainippon Empire Postage Stamp Imitation Magazine

Wada Kotaro ed. 1896 litho kobans - MAEDA Kihei

76p; 25.1 × 18.4cm

MAEDA colours ... ex KB4

Enkakushi - Genuine and forgery

300 copies of genuine Enkakushi were produced in Japan for diplomatic use ... most residual copies were destroyed in fire that followed 1923 Earthquake. the enkakushi depicted all genuine japanese stamps to date of issue. Kristian Wilhelmsen noted that special plates were made for 1871 dragons as supplies were exhausted, and withdrawn prior to 1896. so these are the rarest of dragons ... I term these "laughing buddhas" ... the negative image speeds plating in 8x5 matrix. , Wada Kotaro followed with a facsimile edition... ISJP Index to JP, reports dates of 1896.3 for genuine and 1896.10 for forgery editions... Wada not having produced any koban forgeries of his own, thereby recruited and included the Maeda series unused in his compilation... fewer copies exist today of imitation enkakushi, than genuine - seldom seen at auction - both command high realised values... the fact that some genuine postal stationery was included in the facsimile enkakushi, forced the IJPO to seize and destroy most ...