Sale 72 The Jane and Dan Sten Olsson Collection of Large Dragons Sale 4

China, 1884 (27 May) neat envelope to Troy, New York bearing on reverse Large Dragons thick paper 3ca. red-brown, cancelled and tied by Ichang seal and additionally tied by "San Francisco, Cal./Paid All" c.d.s. (10.7) in red, with superb matching "Customs/Ichang" origin c.d.s. and "Customs/Shanghai" double-ring transit d.s. of "Jun 1 84" alongside, and on front U.S. Taylor 5c. blue, cancelled by barred cork h.s. in red and showing "U.S. Postal Ag'cy/Shanghai" matching c.d.s. also in red adjacent, with "Troy, N.Y./Rec'd." arrival c.d.s. on reverse, the envelope is opened out for display, extremely fine and flawless; among the rarest and most exceptional of all the combination covers. A stunning cover of immense grandeur and importance. Chan 8.
Estimate HK$ 1,500,000 - 2,000,000

Provenance: Dr. Warren G. Kauder, Robson Lowe (London), 2.5.1972, lot 68
James Huangco
Chen Sun-Sing
Giulio Mochi, David Feldman (Zurich), 24.10.1984, lot 40630
Anna-Lisa and Sven-Eric Beckeman, Sotheby's and Corinphila (Hong Kong), 7.11.1996, lot A200.

References: James B. Whang, A Comprehensive Illustration on Covers of Chinese Large Dragons (Taipei: Whang's Philatelic Foundation, 1997), pp. 406-407.

ONLY TWO LARGE DRAGON COVERS ARE RECORDED USED FROM ICHANG. THE OTHER COVER (EX DR. WARREN G. KAUDER AND JAMES B. WHANG) IS FROM THE SAME CORRESPONDENCE AND IS DATED 19 AUGUST 1885, BUT THE LARGE DRAGON STAMP IS NOT TIED.

The 3 candarins domestic rate and 5 cents for foreign postage to the U.S.A. with both stamps applied by the sender at the time of posting.

A Brief Census of the Eleven Extant Large Dragon - U.S. combination frankings :
Chinkiang - 2
Ichang - 2
Tientsin - 5
Incoming - 2.