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Ryukyu Islands 1958 Scott 53 Pair FDC 10th Anniversary Ryukyu Stamps Naha Cancel
1948-1958 Ryukyu Stamps Anniversary First Day Cover
OVERVIEW
Offered is an original Ryukyu Islands First Day Cover bearing a horizontal pair of the 1958 4 (B-Yen period) commemorative marking the tenth anniversary of the first Ryukyu stamp issue.
The cover carries an illustrated bilingual cachet at left reading:
The 10th Anniversary of the Issuance of Ryukyu Stamps 1948-1958 First Day of Issue
with a postal bag design below.
The franking is tied by a bold red-violet commemorative first day cancellation dated 1958.7.1 making this a strong and visually distinctive example of late B-Yen era Ryukyuan postal history.
The anniversary timing on this cover is exact to the date of the first 1948 definitive issue.
STAMP DETAILS
The cover is franked with a horizontal pair of Ryukyu Islands Scott 53 also cataloged as Gibbons 68 or Michel 58.
This 1958 commemorative features a stamps-on-stamps design in multicolor (gray, brown, and rose) including motifs from the 1948 Cycad and 1950 Kannon issues.
The stamps were printed via photogravure on unwatermarked paper with a perforation of 13.5.
While the face of the stamp shows the numeral 4 this is a verified late B-Yen era issue released just months before the islands transitioned to the U.S.
Dollar in September 1958.
POSTAL MARKINGS
The pair is tied by a premium dual-component pictorial commemorative cancel integrated within the circular datestamp.
This specialized "cancel within a cancel" format features an inner pictorial element depicting an anniversary stamp design inset within the outer Naha Central CDS frame. Dated 1958.7.1 the strike also includes the Ishikawa office notation in Japanese characters.
This characteristic format was reserved for high-level Ryukyu anniversary issues and is highly favored by collectors for its thematic depth and visual complexity.
POSTAL ROUTE
As an unaddressed First Day Cover this item was hand prepared at the Naha Central post office specifically for the tenth anniversary celebrations.
It did not travel through the commercial mail stream but serves as a permanent archival record of the milestone.
Naha Central was the primary hub for U.S. Civil Administration philatelic activities during this period and these complex pictorial strikes are highly valued for their clarity and specialized design.
ADDRESS
This cover is unaddressed.
This is the preferred state for Ryukyu Islands FDCs as it allows for an unobstructed view of the elaborate commemorative cancellations and the blue printed cachet.
No manuscript or typed address elements are present on the envelope surface.
CONTEXT
The Ryukyu Islands operated their own stamp issuing authority during the postwar U.S. administration period before reversion to Japan in 1972.
This 1958 commemorative marked exactly one decade since the first post-war definitive stamps were released on July 1 1948.
Because this cover combines the exact anniversary date a horizontal pair of Scott 53 and a large pictorial commemorative cancel it possesses significantly stronger collector interest than standard single stamp first day covers of the same era.
WHY IT MATTERS
This is a Tier 2 plus archival specimen.
The horizontal pair franking combined with the stamps-on-stamps themed commemorative cancel elevates the piece for topical specialists.
The specific historical context of the B-Yen military currency era and the U.S. Administration in Okinawa makes this a cornerstone piece for specialists in Japanese regional issues and American administrative history.
It is a textbook example of premium commemorative postal marking application.
ITEM SPECIFICS
Year of Issue: 1958
Country: Ryukyu Islands
Scott Number: 53
Denomination: 4 (B-Yen period issue)
Currency: B-Yen (Military Currency)
Type: First Day Cover
Format: Horizontal Pair
Topic: Stamps on Stamps
Theme: Ryukyu Postal History
Era: U.S. Administration Period
Cancellation Type: Naha Central Pictorial Commemorative
Postmark Date: July 1 1958
Region: Okinawa Japan
Color: Gray Brown and Rose
SKU: RYU-1958-SC53-PAIR-FDC
CONDITION
Excellent unaddressed condition.
The envelope shows fresh paper quality with no significant foxing or toning.
The horizontal pair of stamps features vibrant colors and sound perforations.
The large red-violet commemorative cancel is bold and highly attractive and the blue cachet is sharp and fully legible.
The reverse of the envelope is clean and structurally sound.
