CHINA 1897-1908 issues

Return To Catalogue - Issues before 1897 - Issues of 1909-1920

Note: on my website many of the pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the cd's;
contact me if you want to purchase them: evert@klaseboer.com.

For issues before 1897, click here.

1897 Inscription 'IMPERIAL CHINESE POST'

Dragon

4 c brown 

  1/2 c lilac
  1 c yellow
  2 c red
  4 c brown
  5 c red
  10 c green

Fishes (carps)


  20 c brown
  30 c red
  50 c green

Bird

  1 $ red
  2 $ orange and yellow
  5 $ green and lilac

These stamps have perforation 11 and watermark 'Shell'.

Value of the stamps

 
vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon
 
*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks
1/2 c * *  
1 c ** **  
2 c * *  
4 c ** **  
5 c *** **  
10 c *** **  
20 c *** ***  
30 c R R  
50 c R R A 50c dark green error (colour of the 10 c)
seems to exist: RRR
1 $ RR RR  
2 $ RR RR  
5 $ RR RR  

 

1898 Inscription 'CHINESE IMPERIAL POST'

Dragon

2 c red 

  1/2 c brown
  1 c yellow
  2 c red
  2 c green
  3 c green
  4 c brown
  4 c red
  5 c red
  5 c violet
  7 c brown
  10 c green
  10 c blue

Fishes


  16 c green
  20 c brown
  30 c red
  50 c green

Bird (Goose)


  1 $ red and lilac
  2 $ red and yellow
  5 $ green and lilac

The first issue of these stamps was printed on paper with watermark 'Shell'. This watermark is often very difficult to distinguish. Later (1902) it was printed on paper without watermark.

Value of the stamps

 
vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon
 
*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks

Cheapest Types
1/2 c c c  
1 c c vc  
2 c red * c  
2 c green * vc 1905
3 c * vc 1905?
4 c brown * *  
4 c red * * 1909
5 c red *** **  
5 c violet * c 1905
7 c *** ** 1905?
10 c green *** c  
10 c blue *** * 1908
16 c *** ** 1907
20 c *** *  
30 c *** *  
50 c *** *  
1 $ R **  
2 $ RR ***  
5 $ RR RR   
Surcharged horizontally with Chinese text 'Neutrality' (1912)

3 c green 

  3 c green (red overprint)
  1 $ red
  2 $ red and yellow
  5 $ green

Value of the stamps

 
vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon
 
*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks
3 c RR R  
1 $ RRR RRR  
2 $ RRR RRR  
5 $ RRR RRR   
Surcharged vertically with Chinese text 'Chinese republic' (3 types, 1912)

London overprint

  1/2 c brown
  1 c yellow (red)
  2 c green (red)
  3 c green (red)
  4 c red
  5 c violet (red)
  7 c brown
  10 c blue (red)


(Reduced sizes)

50 c green (red overprint)

  16 c green (red)
  20 c brown
  30 c red
  50 c green (red)


(Reduced sizes)

  1 $ red
  2 $ red and yellow
  5 $ green

The overprint exists in three types; two were made locally and one in London. This overprint was necessary due to the revolution of 1911.

Value of the stamps

 
vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon
 
*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks

Cheapest Types
1/2 c c vc  
1 c c vc  
2 c * c  
3 c * vc  
4 c * *  
5 c * *  
7 c * *  
10 c * *  
16 c ** **  
20 c ** *  
30 c *** **  
50 c *** **  
1 $ *** **  
2 $ R ***  
5 $ RR RR   
Double surcharged with Chinese text 'Neutrality' and 'Chinese republic' (1912)


(Reduced size)

  1 c yellow (overprint red)
  3 c green (overprint red)
  7 c brown
  16 c green (overprint red)
  50 c green (overprint red)
  1 $ red
  2 $ red and yellow
  5 $ green

Many forged overprints exist!

Value of the stamps

 
vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon
 
*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks
1 c RR RR  
3 c RR RR  
7 c RR RR  
16 c RRR RRR  
50 c RRR RRR  
1 $ RRR RRR  
2 $ RRR RRR  
5 $ RRR RRR   
Surcharged with 'B R A 5 Five Cents' in green or black,
  (1901, British Railway Administration)


Note the typical violet cancel

  'B R A  5  Five Cents' on 1/2 c brown

Value of the stamps

 
vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon
 
*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks
5 c on 1/2 c RR RR  

A 2 c stamp was bisected and surcharged 'Postage 1 Cent Paid' (provisional issue of Foochow) in 22 and 23 October 1903, click here for more information.


Tibet issue

These stamps surcharged in 'Pies', 'Annas' or 'Rupies' were issued for Tibet.

If I'm informed correctly, these are local diagonal overpints?:

Bogus issue?

I've been told that the next stamp is a postal forgery:


(Postal forgery)

This postal forgery is described in 'Postal Forgeries of the World' by H.G. Leslie Fletcher. It is lithographed instead of engraved resulting in a bad quality of the finer details of the stamp, such as the central dragon and the lined background. It is also printed on much thinner paper than the genuine stamp.

 

For stamps of China issued after 1908 click here.

Stamps - Timbres-Poste - Briefmarken - Postzegels

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer