Japan Cover 1910 Question About Rate

This is a cover sent from Kamakura? via Yokohama to Massachusetts on Jume 30 1910 (received July 21, 1910). It is franked with 22 sen of the kiku definitive issue. What explains the 22 sen franking? Double rate international was only 20 sen at that time. There are no markings for printed matter on the front or back...

Then cover was a double weight, 20gr x 2) or 10sen +10sen (20sen) total UPU cover to the United States, the 2sen was over-paid for convenience of the mailer an added no additional postal value to the cover. It may have been rate confusion on behalf of the sender. The sender feeling some postage was required to convey the cover locally to the post office , prior to conveying it to the U.S.. The

Three letter postal "chop" below the stamps indicates, "TO U.S.A."

Hal

While Hal above covers it, this is a bit more clear AND tells you how to look it up in the future.

Per the July 1910 USPOD Postal Guide the cost for postage from Japan, letter rate (PN 214, 215) was 10 sen for the first weight unit and 6 sen for each additional. Thus 22 Sen pay for more than two up to three weight units. Japan was also in the UPU at that time (PN 212).

I would do a copy/past but the information is rather spread out. I may try via edit later. However, go to stampsmarter.org [ https://stampsmarter.org/learning/P...GuideS3.html ] and look it up for yourself on the page numbers I listed above (PN XXX).

Hi dandow and all,

From October 1st, 1907, the first weight-unit mentioned by Parcelpostguy was 20g and the additional unit was (also) 20g in Japan. The change of the additional unit fee from 10 Sen to 6 Sen was the main reason for the issuance of 6 Sen Kiku (chrysanthemum) stamp on Aug.20, 1907.

Below is an example of similar franking for double uprate first class registered foreign mail, using 6 Sen Kiku stamps (e.g. 10Sen + 2 x 6 Sen + 10Sen registered fee).



Hope this helps !

- Hironobu (from Osaka, Japan)

Hi Hironobu,
Outstanding cover! Just a quibble, but shouldn't the 4th line read starting with "(32 sen fee"? On a more serious note, I have seen manuscript notations on early 20th century covers, such as the blue "46" on your cover, but I have not be able to figure out their purpose....
Best,
D Andow

Hi dandow, I've also noticed the typo - thanks for notification. This shows how my math ability is poor :-) I'll correct the leaf !

The blue "46" should be the weight of the letter (in grams); e.g. 46g = 20g + 20g + 6g, thus normal fee + double uprate, which matches the franking. I'd love to see your other covers with such manuscript notations !

Regards,
Hironobu