Lot 212
New Britain, 1914 (Oct.?) German Marshall Islands issue of 1901 3pf to 5m with red handstamped overprint (SG 11-23), the personal seal of "Kana", a Japanese Naval officer, and the stamps tied by "Kaiserlich Deutsche Postagentur Jaluit, Marschal Inseln" intaglio seal on envelope, the 40pf and 5m damaged. Rare and unusual cover from the Japanese Occupation. Michel 13-25.
Estimate 4,000 - 5,000
Expertization: 1995 Holcombe Certificate.
Provenance: Robert M. Gibbs
There are six different personal seals of Japanese Naval officers known on various values; however, this is the only complete set recorded. First reported in 1915, their status has always been a matter of conjecture, since there are no surviving official records authorising their use, and all stocks of the German Colonial stamps were apparently destroyed. During this early period of Japanese Occupation, letters were sent through the Japanese Naval Authorities and did not require franking with postage stamps. No covers are known with these handstamps, and, even though the above cover did not go through the mails, it represents a unique historical item related to this tumultuous provisional period.
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