Premium pages left without account:

Auction archive: Lot number 1609

China 1897 Revenue Surcharges

Reserve
HK$650,000 - HK$750,000
ca. US$83,009 - US$95,779
Price realised:
n. a.
Auction archive: Lot number 1609

China 1897 Revenue Surcharges

Reserve
HK$650,000 - HK$750,000
ca. US$83,009 - US$95,779
Price realised:
n. a.
Beschreibung:

China 1897 Revenue Surcharges Unsurcharged 3c. crimson-red, perf.14x14½ in a rich shade, part original gum with old hinge remainder on the reverse, extraordinarily well centred with even margins all round. This stamp is of outstanding freshness which few others achieve. A remarkable stamp of the highest calibre. Chan R1. Photo In 1896 approval was granted to introduce revenue stamps. Waterlow and Sons were instructed to produce a suitable design for a 3c. stamp. However, strong public objection to the proposed new tax meant that it was abandoned and stamps that had already been printed and delivered were put into storage in the Shanghai Customs Statistical Department. Coincidentally, around the same time, the new Imperial Post Office was planning to offer new services, including the handling of parcels and postal remittances. Both of these services required high-value stamps, in particular, a supply of $1 and $5 stamps. The decision to overprint stamps with a value higher than their original face value has to be carefully considered as such stamps provide an easy target to defraud the post office. The unused 3c. revenue was an ideal candidate for taking high value surcharges. Firstly, the printing quality was of a very high standard and, secondly, no stamps had been released to the public, making it impossible to produce a convincing fake. The 'Revenue Surcharges China 1897', reference book illustrates 53 examples, and a few more have surfaced subsequent to its publication. As well as the two blocks of six recently discovered by Spink, approximately twenty examples have been discovered in China. All of the latter stamps are toned or in poor condition as a result of being stored in hiding during the Cultural Revolution. It is possible that other examples may be discovered, it is unlikely that, after all this time, new discoveries would exceed more than a few stamps.

Auction archive: Lot number 1609
Auction:
Datum:
20 Jan 2019
Auction house:
Spink
Spink China
Beschreibung:

China 1897 Revenue Surcharges Unsurcharged 3c. crimson-red, perf.14x14½ in a rich shade, part original gum with old hinge remainder on the reverse, extraordinarily well centred with even margins all round. This stamp is of outstanding freshness which few others achieve. A remarkable stamp of the highest calibre. Chan R1. Photo In 1896 approval was granted to introduce revenue stamps. Waterlow and Sons were instructed to produce a suitable design for a 3c. stamp. However, strong public objection to the proposed new tax meant that it was abandoned and stamps that had already been printed and delivered were put into storage in the Shanghai Customs Statistical Department. Coincidentally, around the same time, the new Imperial Post Office was planning to offer new services, including the handling of parcels and postal remittances. Both of these services required high-value stamps, in particular, a supply of $1 and $5 stamps. The decision to overprint stamps with a value higher than their original face value has to be carefully considered as such stamps provide an easy target to defraud the post office. The unused 3c. revenue was an ideal candidate for taking high value surcharges. Firstly, the printing quality was of a very high standard and, secondly, no stamps had been released to the public, making it impossible to produce a convincing fake. The 'Revenue Surcharges China 1897', reference book illustrates 53 examples, and a few more have surfaced subsequent to its publication. As well as the two blocks of six recently discovered by Spink, approximately twenty examples have been discovered in China. All of the latter stamps are toned or in poor condition as a result of being stored in hiding during the Cultural Revolution. It is possible that other examples may be discovered, it is unlikely that, after all this time, new discoveries would exceed more than a few stamps.

Auction archive: Lot number 1609
Auction:
Datum:
20 Jan 2019
Auction house:
Spink
Spink China
Try LotSearch

Try LotSearch and its premium features for 7 days - without any costs!

  • Search lots and bid
  • Price database and artist analysis
  • Alerts for your searches
Create an alert now!

Be notified automatically about new items in upcoming auctions.

Create an alert