Imperial Visit Stamps Appraisal

1935 Manchukuo Imperial Visit to Japan Commemorative Postage Stamps

A pair of commemorative postage stamps issued by the Empire of Manchukuo in 1935. The set includes a 2-fen stamp in carmine-rose and a 4-fen stamp in emerald green. Both stamps feature a central design depicting a white crane in flight over a body of water, with a smaller crane in the background and a stylized ship's mast with a flag visible at the bottom. The top of each stamp contains a line of Japanese/Manchurian kanji characters flanking a central orchid crest, which was the symbol of the Manchukuo Imperial family. The bottom borders display the numerical denominations in the left corner and traditional characters on the right. These stamps were issued to commemorate Emperor Puyi's first state visit to Japan. Physically, the stamps have standard perforations and appear to be in unused, mint hinges condition with sharp borders and vibrant ink coloration. There are no immediate signs of foxing, creasing, or tearing, although a slight adhesive mounting strip is visible across the center in the photograph. The printing quality is characteristic of the mid-1930s industrial lithography used by the Manchukuo postal authorities, displaying fine detail in the crane's feathers and the rippling water effect.