Japan, 1879 (50 sen, Koban)
A rising sun over a crest, flanked by stars, in a red oval.
Illustration of a historical stamp for learning, shown at screen size. Not valid for postage.
How to read it
IMPERIAL JAPANESE POST across the top, in English.
- 1IMPERIAL JAPANESE POST
- 250 SEN 50
- Inscription
- IMPERIAL JAPANESE POST · 大日本帝國郵便 · 五拾錢 · 50 SEN
- Meaning
- The English words say it all; the kanji mean “Great Japanese Empire post” and fifty sen.
- Issued by
- Japan
- Today
- Japan Flag of Japan
- Year
- 1879. This design and value were first issued in 1879.
- Made by
- Edoardo Chiossone (designer and engraver, died 1898)
One fact
The “Koban” stamps were designed and engraved by Edoardo Chiossone, an Italian who worked for Japan’s government printing office.
Source and public-domain rule
Creators died more than 70 years ago. Designed and engraved by Edoardo Chiossone, who died in 1898. (Commons tags it as an organisation’s work instead.) Copyright lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years, counted from 1 January of the year after death. Every named designer and engraver of the stamp died before 1 January 1956; any contributor who was never named counts as anonymous, whose term is 70 years from publication, and the stamp was published before 1956. Legal sources: Directive 2006/116/EC, Art. 1(1) life + 70 years; Art. 1(3) anonymous works 70 years from publication; Art. 7(1) comparison of terms for works from outside the EU; Art. 8 terms run from 1 January, Switzerland, Norway.
Scan: 1888japan50sen.jpg on Wikimedia Commons (revision 1118048070), licence templates {{PD-Japan-organization}}, {{PD-1923}} (a public-domain reason different from ours; both are recorded). Downloaded 2026-10-22, sha256 8320e68d7fb1…; cropped and cleaned for this site. Facts checked 2026-10-22 against source 1 and source 2. Open review note: Commons file name says 1888; the red 50 sen is the 1879 Old Koban design (the 1888 New Koban 50 sen was brown).. Research record, not legal advice; a second check of these rights by a person is planned, and a stamp that turns out not to be free to use will be removed. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
