2c Red Brown (146). 25 stamps for 5-times 10c rate, including a block of 20 affixed over front and back, tied by Yokohama circle of wedges cancels, partly struck "Yokohama Japan Nov. [23?]" (1874) circular datestamp on cover to Mrs. Allethere S. Gray, Yarmouth, Maine--probably carried on the PMSS Great Republic, departing Yokohama November 23, 1874, and arriving San Francisco December 18--the bottom row of block covers half of red "PAID" in frame handstamp which must have been struck in Japan before the stamps were affixed, blue crayon "50c" (and same crayon visible under the stamps), another pencil "50c" below that rate notation, opened for display, some creasing and minor faults as is to be expected

FINE APPEARANCE. A PHENOMENAL BANK NOTE ISSUE FRANKING ON A COVER FROM THE UNITED STATES POST OFFICE IN YOKOHAMA--THE LARGEST BLOCK KNOWN FROM CHINA OR JAPAN.

The addressee, Mrs. Allethere S. Gray, died in Yarmouth, Maine, in 1883. No additional information about her or the family has been located, but it seems likely that this was written by a family member who was in Japan on a sailing voyage. The presence of the red "Paid" marking is significant. A reasonable scenario is the sender did not posssess any stamps and paid 50c postage (2.5 ounce rate) in cash. The "Paid" must have been applied by a forwarder or possibly by a consular/postal agent, and the "50c" notations indicated how much was received. The 25 2c stamps came from the Yokohama post office and were affixed partly over the "Paid." We could not find another example of this marking in any of the references consulted.

Ex Ishikawa and Albert.

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