Dowager Empress Commemorative Issue & Surcharges, The Wen Sun Kong Collection: Reprint of the Stamp Auction Catalog Kelleher & Rogers, 2023

The 1894 Dowager Empress 60th Birthday issue, the first commemorative stamps of China, was commissioned to celebrate the birthday of the Empress Dowager Ci xi in 1895.ln Chinese culture, this is an important occasion, marking the full cycle of life, with the five full cycles through the Chinese zodiac and five natural elements. However, what should have been an auspicious occasion was marred by China's devastating loss to Japan in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95. During the following year, Emperor Kuang-Hsu 's Imperial Edict sanctioned the Tsungli Ya men's proposal to establish a national postal system in China. Furthermore, the Chinese economy would now be based on the silver dollar rather than the silver tael, which meant that stamps had to be issued in the new currency. From 1 January 1897, the post offices had to conform to the new postal rates in cents rather than candarins. Delays in the production and distribution of stamps in the latest currency necessitated the surcharging of existing and reprinted stocks of the Dowager Empress Birthday issue, as well as Small Dragons stampsThis is the story of the 1 894-97 issues in a study compiled over four decades of collecting. Commencing with the proofs of the 1894 issue, these include four values of the nine second (later) printing blocks of four signed by the designer, Robert de Villard. Having originally purchased a complete set of blocks, the collector was later able to make a historical "upgrade" with the addition of these signed proofs from the Sir Percival David collection. Among the rarest of the varieties are imperforate between pairs of the Sea., 6ca., and 24ca. The nearly fifty lots of cancellations meticulously chosen for the quality of the strikes form one of the most comprehensive sections ever offered in an auction.To say that the postal history is remarkable is an understatement in terms of diversity and rare and extraordinary usages. For example, the collection includes three covers or cards franked with Dowagers canceled by the rare Newch wang seal and sent through three different Foreign Post Offices. Destinations include Australia and South Africa, with one envelope sent to a British soldier during the Second Matebele War. There are two Small Dragons and Dowager mixed issue frankings and Sino-Japanese War usages.The most important postal history item is the 1896 (18 Dec.) Kewkiang Local Post Y2c postal stationery card used as a formular card on the Winter Overland Service from Kiukiang to Tientsin. Franked with a Dowager 3 candarins paying the special rate for this service rather than the normal 2 candarins postcard rate, it is one of only two recorded examples of mail matter showing the "Customs/Chinkiang" transit dater, which chronicles this route.The 1897 surcharges are replete with varieties, including two vertical imperforate between unused pairs of the small figures surcharged 4c. on 4ca. reconstructing the original block of four. Similarly, two horizontal sheet margin strips of four imperforate vertically have been reunited to form the original block of ten unused. The small figures surcharges also include the 4c. on 4ca. showing the distinctly spaced double surcharge on piece tied by the "Imperial Post Office/ Whampoa" dater. Among the double surcharges are the Ic. on Ica. and 2c. on 2ca. both unused.The undoubted highlight of the collection is the newly documented third unused example of the legendary "Emerald Lady." The rarest stamps of the surcha rges occurred on the first printings of the Dowager i ssue, the 2.5mm. setting of the 10c. on 12ca. unused, the "Golden Dragon", and the 1.5mm. Setting on the 30c. on 24ca., the "Red Ruby", but the 1.5mm. setting on the 2c. on 2ca. unused is the most elusive. First discovered in a Chinese collection in London in 1998, it was twenty-five years until this world rarity was known to the philatelic world. Read more