Ryukyu Islands 85 Sen Betsu-No Supplementary Surcharges

TYPE I
HANDSTAMPED
Vermilion overprint on Single cards, Message/Reply cards and on Severed Message and Severed Reply cards
Issued circa March 13, 1951

Small rectangle (19-21 x 23-25mm) single-line sans-serif numerals

Printed E47,000+ and issued E43,400+

V4C (UX4b) Single Card Gray paper Cancelled March 15, 1951 Naha, (Naha-shi, Okinawa-Jima) This card is cancelled TWO days after the approximate First Day of Issue Issued E39,000 g (1)


	V4C (UX4b) Single Card Gray Paper Cancelled March 23, 1951 Yonabaru, (Yonabaru-cho, Okinawa-Jima) Shows early use of this card. Issued E39,000 f (2)

V4Ca (UX4b) Single Card Surcharged in RED VIOLET (error) g (3)

V6C-B (UY4f) V6C-C (UY4g)
Severed Message Card Severed Reply Card

V6C-B, UY4f, Catalog value $150 V6C-C, UY4g, Catalog value $150

Tan Paper
20.5 x 24.5mm Frame
Issued E1,500

(4L) (4R)

V8C
Single Card
Issued ca. April, 1951

Japanese Cherry Blossom Postal Card

V8C, noted, Catalog value $75

Dark Gray Paper Light Gray paper

(5L) (5R)

This card has generated more controversy than any other postal stationery of the Ryukyu Islands. In 1947 the U.S. Military Government on Okinawa purchased 70,000 of these cards to relieve an acute paper shortage. These cards were used as Okinawa Gunto provisional postal cards and as official business postal cards. Approximately 1000 were handstamped with the 85 Sen surcharge and “were definitely valid and were official used” according to the then Chief of the Miyako Central Post Office.


	VX4C (UY4m) Message Reply Card Gray Paper 20.5 x 24.5mm Frame Issued ca. April, 1951 Issued E200 Fewer than a dozen copies are known. f (6L)

VX4C-A (UY4o) Message ReplyCard Tan paper 20.5 x 24.5mm Frame Issued E1,500 g (6R)