Trying! "Toshiharu?" 1936 or 1945?

[Bruce Pennington]

Lousy pics from an auction, sorry

Toshiharu maybe?

 

And date is Showa "10 10" or "10 1" 

Anyone make it out?

[Nobody]

宗命 - Munenaga

[Bruce Pennington]

Boy, I wonder if they intentionally made their writing that bad, kind of like we make our modern signatures wild and sloppy to make forging difficult or simply to make it unique?

 

Anyway, thanks!  I see it now.  I've requested  a better photo of the date from the auction house.  It would be significant if the date is 1936.  It would be the earliest large Seki stamp I've ever seen and would would put it's use in parallel with the Showa stamp. 

 

It's possible the second kanji is Roku and the "legs" are just too faint to see.  That would mean 1941 which would fit the currently observed dates.

[SteveM]

I think its probably 十七 . The bottom bit of the 七 is only slightly curved, so in the picture it looks like a 十. 

 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Bingo!  I see it now!  Too bad, that’s the primary year the stamp was used.  1942.  Thought I had a record breaker for a moment.

 

thanks guys!