To make up this rate, 15 sen cards were surcharged with an additional 85 sen valuation. The cards were recalled from existing stocks of the post offices and were initally surcharged with a rubber handstamp.
Five types of surcharges were applied to 15 sen postal cards in 1951.
Surcharges, handstamped and typographed in Vermilion, except as noted
Surcharge Reads:
85 SEN / BETSU-NO / RYU-KYU / YU-SEI-CHO
(85 Sen / Additional Paid / Ryukyu / Communications Administration).
The Type illustrations and Type numbers are from Part II of the RPSS Specialized Catalog.
The handstamps were carved in rubber by a local Naha seal maker and because a poor grade of rubber was used, a gradual natural deterioration of the handstamps occurred, also caused by light and heavy pressure in the application process. This caused an infinite variety of impressions from expansion and distortion.
Total Handstamps issued: 101,300+
Types I and II are the handstamps in their original state.
Types IA and IIA are the same handstamps, deteriorated, expanded and distorted.
Type I (V4C - V4C-A, V6C - V6C-C, V8C, VX4C - VX4C-A) small rectangle, 19-21 x 23-25mm.
47,800+ issued
View Handstamp Cards, Type I
Type IA (V4C-B - V4C-C, V6C-D - V6C-G, VX4C-B - VX4C-C) large rectangle, 22-23 x 26-27mm.
8,000+ issued
View Handstamp Cards, Type IA
Type II (V5C - V5C-A, V7C - V7C-A, V7C-D - V7C-E, VX5C-B) small rectangle, 20-21 x 24-24.5mm.
40,000+ issued
View Handstamp Cards, Type II
Type IIA (V5C-B - V5C-D, V7C-B - V7C-C, V7C-F - V7C-G, VX5C - VX5C-A) large rectangle, 22-23.5 x 25-26mm.
9,900+ issued
View Handstamp Cards, Type IIA
The labor of handstamping the cards was tedious, double cards were cut in two and three different printing companies were contracted, resulting in three different surcharge types. All of them were machine overprinted surcharges and were manually assembled, using individual pieces of handset rule and type, no two were ever exactly the same. Because each of the printing bases, for all of the machine overprinted cards were manually assembled, using individual pieces of hanset rule and type, no two printing bases were ever exactly the same measurement wise. Subtle variations in both the frame lines and characters exists.
Total Typographed issued: E132,000+
Type III (V9C - V9C-C, VX6C - VX6C-A) Rectangle 23 x 27-27.5mm, CHO in original form.
60,000+ impressions issued
View Typographed Cards, Type III
Base 1 Base 2 Base 3
Three of four printing bases
Type IV & Type IV-A (V10R - V10R-Ca) Rectangle 23-23.5 x 26.6-27mm) CHO in simplified form.
70,000+ impressions issued
View Typographed Cards, Type IV
View Typographed Cards, Type IV-A
Three of four printing bases
Type V (V11R - V11R-C) Rectangle 23-23.5 x 26.5-27mm) CHO in simplified form.
2,000 impressioned issued
View Typographed Cards, Type V
One of two printing bases
Surcharge Type I is Scott Catalog Type a
Type IA is b
Type II is c
Type IIA is d
Type III is e
Type IV is f
Type V is g
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