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The low value 50 sen definitive seen earlier was surcharged to 10 yen in 1952 to meet postal
demand. There are three varieties of the overprint. Type II was the most common on the issued
sheet, followed by Types I and III. The guide below is from the Scott Catalogue.
Specialists go beyond these three types by plating the overprints to specific positions on the post office pane of 100 stamps. To do so, it is necessary to understand and identify the two Kanji characters, Kai and Tei, in the top portion of the overprint near the roof. "Kai- Tei" can be translated as "revised" or "corrected." These characters are known in either 8 and 9 point sizes (2.80 or 3.15 mm) only on Type II surcharges. Pairs of Kai/Tei can be found either as 9/9, 9/8, or 8/8 points, but only from 8 specific positions on a pane. The strip of three stamps of Type II below come from positions 82, 83, and 84.
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| The 2 yen violet rose stamp from the same 1950 set was surcharged to 100 yen. This stamp is the key for any Ryukyu collection, with a value of approximately $1,500 mint and $1,100 used. See one above. It was placed on sale June 16, 1952. A total of 10,000 stamps were printed, 8,000 of which were sold, mostly for mail to the Orient. An estimated 2,000 of these are believed to be in collector hands, only a few of which are in used condition. |
