Classical Stamps

Just a question out of curiosity:
Is the shown reprint the one from Feb.23rd,1863 ?
If so,is it identical to the original stamp,or was the plate redone ?
I ask,because the whole stamp looks so much crisper than all original
stamps of this set I have seen so far.[/QUOTE]

 

Just a better scan than most

 

C.DeVon,
thank you for your detailed answer !
Werner

 

My "collection" of the Kingdom Choson and the Empire Tai Han (both Korea)
is a minuscule one: just four stamps.

Issued 1895/98 this is a type II stamp of the first stamp issue of Korea,what
was regularly used.Other values in this set are 10,25 and 50 Poon.
All exist in two prints,printed in the USA.
Many forgeries exist.My knowledge is very limited,so I am not sure,wether
my stamps are genuine or not.

 

In 1897 Korea was renamed to Empire of Tae (Tai) Han (Greater Korea).
Stamps of the previous set of 4 were overprinted with chinese characters
(upper side) and korean characters (bottom side).
This stamp (type I),if genuine,was issued in 1900.
Exist with orange-red overprints (1897) and black overprints (1900).
Michel lists two types of overprint for each stamp,while the KPC lists
six.

 

issued May 1st,1899
Stamps of the previous issue(s) overprinted as 1 Poon-stamps (7 different according to Michel).Middle left in Chinese,right in Korean and number 1
on the value tablet.
Again forgeries are plentiful.

 

issued Oct.18th.1902;Commemorating 40 years of the reign of Emperor Kojong;
The only stamp of my little collection,what was not forged extensively;

 

Another country,where I have very few "classical" stamps only,is Japan.
According to Michel there are 39 stamps of this periode,but different types,
syllabel signs,papers,perforations and plates increase this number considerably.
There is no cheap stamp amongst all of them.Forgeries of all stamps exist
in great numbers and it is estimated,that about 90% of the stamps found
on the market are forgeries.If you are not an expert yourself,expertising
of all early japanese stamps is very much recommended.Older collections
often contain forgeries only,especially all used stamps.
The few stamps I own,are all expertized.
Don´t have any "Dragoons",the first two issues of four stamps each.

"Cherry Blossom" (type III),issued June 5th,1873.

 

Similar stamp Type II


The difference can be seen nicely at the N of SEN.
Upper stamp type III,lower stamp type II.
A big difference in prices: Type II is the most expensive stamp I own,I guess.

 

issued Jan.1st,1875
There are two more values showing birds: 15 Sen and 45 Sen.
The (bluish) cancel was used for international mail only.

 

New colours,issued Feb.4th,1875.

 

Same issue,30 Sen Control Number 3;

 

Changed design,issued Aug.12th,1875

 

The difference between the 2 Sen 1873 (Mi.16/Sc.28),the 2 Sen 1874
(Mi.20/Sc.34) and the 2 Sen of 1875 (Mi.38/Sc.54) is easy to see:
unlike the 1873/1874 stamps,the ends of the branches are tied by a
ribbon on the 1875 stamp.Same appears also between the 1 Sen stamps
from February 1875 (Mi.29 & 35/Sc.41 & 51) and the one issued in
August 1875 (Mi.37/Sc.53).

 

The most difficult field on classical stamps,are the early issues of Nepal.
At least for myself !
Comparing the listings in Scott and in Michel confuses more,than it does
help.
Different papers and a wide variation of colours,a design,difficult to see,
are making it nearly impossible to identify stamps correctly.

1 Anna blue & 4 Annas green,issued 1890/98 ?

 

This one is more easy to identify: 1/2 Anna,issued 1899.
The above stamp is rouletted,while imperfoated ones are cheaper.
There is a stamp in the same design in red-orange,what is rather expensive.

 

Tete beche pairs of this rather common stamp are not rare.
Michel catalogs a grey-black (more expensive) and a black sub-number.
I wonder how one can spot the difference.But none of the pairs above
can be the expensive one,because no tete beche pairs exist of the
grey-black stamp.

 

Changed design (less lines in the frame),issued 1899/1906.

 

issue 1917/1918
Upper stamps (1 Anna) changed design:corner squares without shading.

 

Again the 1917/18 series,now rouletted.
Upper three 2 Annas,green stamp 4 Annas.
Manny shades and variations exist.