Japan - Ansichtkaart (225) - 1952-1933

Item Description
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Shipping method: The lot will be carefully packaged and sent by DHL or FedEx or EMS depend on the situation. It takes about 3 weeks to receive normally. Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Sometimes Customs or delivery company in your country contact you for Customs clearance via phone or email. Please make sure that you could answer the phone. If you don't, the parcel will return to me and it cost more double shipping fee for reshipping. I appreciate your cooperation.

A remarkable and substantial collection of approximately 225 antique Japanese postal stationery items — primarily official government-issued postcards (郵便はがき, yubin hagaki) dating from the Taisho to early Showa period (approximately 1910s–1940s). This is an exceptional lot for postal history collectors and philatelists with an interest in pre-war and wartime Japan.
Key highlights of this collection:
The majority of pieces are unused (mint) condition official postal stationery, featuring the iconic printed stamp design bearing the mounted postal courier (騎馬像) — a celebrated motif in Japanese postal history representing the horse-rider postal delivery system of the Meiji era. These appear in multiple variants: green, blue, ochre/gold, and brown-red impressions, across different denominations and periods, suggesting the collection spans multiple decades of Japanese postal history.
A significant portion of the cards bear additionally affixed stamps from the same era — including portrait stamps featuring Meiji and Taisho-era imperial imagery, as well as stamp designs depicting Japanese architecture (likely the Meiji Shrine or similar commemorative buildings), in denominations of 1 sen, 2 sen, 3 sen, and 5 sen. Some cards show red cancellation marks. The presence of affixed stamps on already-prepaid postal stationery is a characteristic feature of wartime and transitional-period Japanese postal use, reflecting changes in postage rates, and adds historical authenticity and philatelic interest.
The collection also includes envelope-type items (yubin fukutsu / futokoro bumi) in addition to standard postcard format, providing variety for the discerning collector. Some cards appear to include written content (kaku characters visible), making those examples true entires with historical correspondence value.
This lot represents an unusually large intact accumulation of pre-war Japanese postal stationery that has survived together, making it a significant find for anyone building a comprehensive Japanese postal history collection. Individual rare types within such a collection can command considerable collector premiums.
My message / 私のメッセージ
Thank you so much for taking a look at my items. I run a recycle shop in Japan and joined Catawiki because I want to share wonderful items filled with Japanese craftsmanship and history with the world. If you have any questions about the items, please feel free to message me anytime. With gratitude to everyone — ARIGATO.

Shipping method: The lot will be carefully packaged and sent by DHL or FedEx or EMS depend on the situation. It takes about 3 weeks to receive normally. Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Sometimes Customs or delivery company in your country contact you for Customs clearance via phone or email. Please make sure that you could answer the phone. If you don't, the parcel will return to me and it cost more double shipping fee for reshipping. I appreciate your cooperation.

Size
Approximately 14.8 cm × 10.0 cm per postcard (standard Japanese hagaki format)

Total lot: approximately 225 pieces

Weight
302 g (total lot)

Condition
Predominantly unused (mint) condition overall, with age-related yellowing and light toning consistent with pieces approximately 80–100 years old; a small number show postal use with cancellations; general aging and storage wear throughout, but no major tears or losses noted.

Artist Profile
N/A — Official Japanese government postal stationery and philatelic collection.

Catawiki出品項目

Title of Artwork: Rare Lot of approx. 225 Antique Japanese Postal Stationery — Taisho to Showa Era Postcards, Mostly Unused, Mounted Courier Design
Type / Object: Postal history — Japanese postal stationery collection (hagaki / postcards)
Period: Taisho to early Showa era (approximately 1912–1945)
Origin: Japan
Quantity: Approximately 225 pieces
Weight: 302 g
Condition: Good overall — predominantly unused; age-related toning; minor wear consistent with age