Prices Realized

lot # 47 - 1: China issued stamps

Monday Dec 10, 2018 09:30 Asia/Hong_Kong

China, 1883-85 Large Dragon thick paper 3ca. pale red, rough perfs., Setting XVI, vertical strip of three [13/2/24], the top and lower stamps curiously showing somewhat fuzzy impressions while the centre stamp is a clear sharp impression, on small piece, cancelled by two complete strikes of Tientsin seal in blue, additionally tied by trace of matching Customs double-ring d.s. and foreign arrival circular h.s., very fine, the impression of the envelope flap on reverse over which the strip was affixed shows through to front. An important multiple for this Setting. Chan 11.
Estimate HK$ 25,000 - 30,000


Provenance: Bernard Stoloff, Christie's Robson Lowe (Zurich), 14.5.1987, lot 2216 (originally identified as Setting XII [13/6/24])
James B. Whang, Christie's Swire (Hong Kong), 3.11.1994, lot 1637
Anna-Lisa and Sven-Eric Beckeman, Sotheby's and Corinphila (Hong Kong), 7.11.1996, lot A59.

This is a key multiple, since it places cliché [2] in the second row of the sheet and thereby established one of the positions [13] as belonging in the top row. This is based on its overlapping two rows of the unused block of eight [2-1/24-26/3-21/8-18] from the Godfrey Mellor and Sir Percival David collections (Robson Lowe, 15.5.1969, lot 2159 and 22.7.1970, lot 43).

The strip traditionally had been classified as Setting XII [13/6/24]; however, after the Beckemans correctly identified it as [13/2/24], the existence of a new Setting came about.

This Setting was discovered by the Beckemans, and the Setting number (XVI) attributed to it is an arbitrary one. The distinctive pale brownish red colour, dented framelines and rough perforations are characteristics of this Setting. According to the Beckemans, Setting XVI belongs chronologically between Settings XII and XIII. See their article, "A New Setting for the 3 Candarins - Setting XVI", Journal of Chinese Philately, No. 263 (Aug. 1989), p. 124.


Estimate: HK$ 25,000 - 30,000

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