Changes in Japanese Postage Stamps (2/9)

Characters From the 'Katakana' Syllabary Appear

January 1, 1874

To guarantee the number of stamps issued as well as the face value, a tiny character from the katakana syllabary was included within the printed area.
From February of 1874, stamps were printed on Western paper instead of Japanese paper.
The same katakana character appeared on each of the forty stamps on one sheet. The earlier katakana characters were printed using original plates engraved by a non-government group, and the latter ones were printed using government-engraved plates. In 1875 the katakana characters were eliminated to simplify the engraving process.

Stamp for Overseas Mail Issued

January 1, 1875

With the signing of the Japan and United States of America Mail Exchange Agreement in 1873, Japan began handling overseas mail in 1875. Three stamp types were issued to be used on mail destined for overseas. Each design featured a bird, which led to their popular designation as the 'Bird stamps.'
From these stamps on, all processes, including production of the original plates and printing, were carried out by the government mint--the present-day Ministry of Finance Printing Bureau.

Stamps Produced by Relief Printing

May 17, 1876

Postal volume increased year by year. Printing using hand-engraved plates was no longer able to keep pace with the demand for stamps.
Under the guidance Edoardo Chiossone, an Italian, who was invited by the mint, stamps were produced using the new method of relief printing.
The stamps are commonly known as the 'Small Coin stamps,' for the picture in the center of the design.
These were used for many years, from 1876 to 1899, and were the first stamps to have the words 'Refined edition,' indicating the production method, printed on the bottom of the sheet.