Koban Collection Horst Mueller mueller@homemail.com

The Bota cancellations are very popular among Japanese collectors. It is not too difficult to obtain a complete collection of all Bota types on stamps. There are some which may cost a lot, such as the Naha, Wakamatsu and Nemuro Bota, but they do show up at auctions in Japan and overseas.

The real fun starts when collecting the Bota cancels together with the various datestamps used in conjunction with the Bota obliterator. This, of course, can only be done by collecting covers, cards and other postal stationary.
 
 

This postmark is round, from 11 to 14 mm in diameter and was used from April to September 1881, when it was replaced by the large Bota marks. This postmark is known from 13 cities.

Click on the title The Small Bota to open.
 
 

The large Bota marks were elliptical, about 20 mm tall and were in use from September 1881 till August. On September 1, 1881 or in the Meiji year 21 the Maruichi cancellation was introduced at all Japanese post offices. The large Bota was used in 62 cities and in one small village called Yamae. There is some doubt about this Yamae Bota. No Yamae Bota cancel has ever been found on a cover or postcard, only 2 or 3 marks on stamps are known and these very well could be fakes.

Because of the many items to show I have split up the Large Bota  file into 10 smaller ones for faster downloading. Click on the htm to open:

• Set A: lbA1-6.htm
• Set B: lbB7-14.htm
• Set C: lbC15-21.htm
• Set D: lbD22-27.htm
• Set E: lbE28-34.htm
• Set F: lbF35-41.htm
• Set G: lbG42-48.htm
• Set H: lbH49-55.htm
• Set I: lbI56-62.htm
• Set J: lbJ63-69.htm