1859, entire folded transatlantic letter of three pages, dated "Shanghai le 4 avril 1859" via "HONG KONG AP 10 59" to France w. tax hs. and red arrival of May 26. Scarce early letter during the period of the 2nd opium war. (Image)

1882, large dragon thick paper, set used with blue seal "Peking": 1 Ca. pair, 3 Ca. and 5 Ca. blocks of four. Attractive multiples, some perforation imperfections. (Image)

1882, large dragon thick paper 3 Ca. brownish red canc. seal "Shanghai"on small cover w. on reverse "CUSTOMS SHANGHAI OCT 20 86" , in combination with France 25 C. bistre on straw (slight rubbing at top) canc. "Shang-hai/Chine 20 OCT 86", to London (Nov. 29 arrival), transits red transit TPO "Modane à Paris" and TPO "Paris à Calais" 29 NOV 86" on reverse, somewhat unevenly opened, not affecting stamps, very fine. Chan 8. (Image)

1882, large dragon thick paper 3 Ca. brownish red tied blue seal "Peking" to reverse of cover w. blue "I.G. of CUSTOMS PEKING FEB 8 86" alongside, transit "CUSTOMS SHANHGAI FEB 23 86", in combination w. on front Japan 5 S. 1876 (trimmed at right) canc. crossroads w. 20 mm "I.J.P.A. SHANGHAI 24 FEB 1886" alongside, via YOKOHAMA and SF and NY to South Orange NJ/USA. Provenience: Alevizos No. 30, 1981; literature: James B. Whang p. 50. (Image)

1888, small dragon 3 Ca. tied blue seal script style seal "Tientsin" to reverse of small cover w. blue "CUSTOMS TIENTSIN FEB.. 93" alongside, also "CUSTOMS SHANGHAI FEB 17 1893", in combination w. German offices forerunner crown&eagle 20 Pf. blue tied "KDPA Shanghai 17/2 93" to Berlin/Germany w. arrival "delivered by p.o. 7 25/3 93". The winter overland route. (Image)

1888, small dragon 3 Ca. rough perf. 12½ tied blue seal "Peking" to small envelope to Belgium, matching blue "I.G. of Customs Peking Jan 20 1894" on reverse, in combination w. France 25 C. tied "SHANG-HAI CHINE 9 FEVR 94", transits blue customs Tientsin, customs Shanghai, also showing red french TPO "Modane à Paris" and arrival "BRUXELLES. Envelope has been refolded at top and backflap mended with old-time cellotape, but all the postal markings are still there, fine single rate cover sent via the winter overland route with both Chinese and French stamps applied at same time by the sender. Chan 17. (Image)

1894, empress dowager, study on pages consisting of three sets of 1-24 Ca., each: large master die proofs in black, displaying the fineness of detail characteristics of the originals; 3rd printing imperforate plate proofs in colours of the 2nd printing on hard wove paper, horizontal margin pairs (but 12 Ca. vertical), signed Holcome with certificate (1992); Mollendorf printing. An exquisite and rare assembly. (M) (Image)

1894, Dowager 1 Ca.-6 Ca., proofs of printing II in ungummed blocks of 4. (Image)

1894, Dowager 2 Ca. green, imperforate on top, a top margin piece, unused mounted mint. (Image)

1894, Dowager 3 Ca. tied blue seal "Peking" w. blue "I.G. OF CUSTOMS PEKING AUG 23 95" alongside, via blue "CUSTOMS SHANGHAI AUG 28 1895", in combination w. German offices, forerunner 20 Pf. blue "SHANGHAI 29 AUG 95" to London w. "10 1 95" arrival. (Image)

1894, Dowager 3 Ca. tied blue seal "Tientsin" to reverse of small envelope (file bend at left) w. blue customs dater "DEC 1 1895" alongside, via "CUSTOMS SHANGHAI DEC 5 1895", in combination w. France 25 C. "SHANG-HAI 8 DEC 95" to Paris/France w. Jan. 10 arrival on reverse. (Image)

1894, dowager 9 Ca. green, a horizontal pair imperforated in-between, pos. 1 w. retouch in lower left corner, unused mounted mint. (Image)

1897, 1 C. on 1 Ca., small figure surcharge, variety: surcharge inverted, w. complete strike of Hankow pa-kua in black. Chan 38d, Scott 29a, cert. Experts & Consultants (2007). (Image)

1897, 4 C. on 4 Ca., large figure surcharge narrow distance, variety: surcharge inverted, unused mounted mint. (Image)

1897, Local Post envelope (form use) with oval "SHANGHAI CUSTOMS MAIL MATTER" to Customs House Wenchow w. arrival "CUSTOMS WENCHOW SEP 9 97", scarce. (Image)

1897, 10 C./9 Ca. large figures close space w. 8 C. / 6 Ca. antiqua and 2 C. / dragon 3 Ca. each tied oval bilingual "KIAOCHOW JAN 2 1900" in combination w. German offices 10 Pf., 20 Pf. tied "TSINGTAU 28.1.00" to registered sealed red band cover to Germany (backstamps), sender Breitenfeldt of I.M.C. Kiaochow, rarity, double signed Dr. Steuer VÖB. (Image)

1901, incoming mail, Hawaii: USA Grant 5 C. blue, a horizontal pair tied duplex "HONOLULU JUNE 4 190" to German consul general in Shanghai, via "YOKOHAMA 16 6 01", boxed vermilion "via Kobe" and arrival IJPO Shanghai June 23, very scarce incoming from Hawaii. (Image)

1897, ½ C. on 3 Cand. Dowager (top 2 mm tear) tied large dollar "SHANGHAI 23 SEP 97" in combination with Germany, forerunner crown&eagle 20 Pf. (2) tied "SHANGHAI 24/9 97" to Germany w. arrival "HAMBURG 27.10.97", the left german adhesive is pasted over a boxed "T." marking, great rarity, double signed Steuer BPP for colour "d" on reverse. (Image)

1897, 1 C. type I on red revenue resp. 4 C. large type on red revenue with surcharges on dowager: seriffed 5 C., 8 C. and non-seriffed 2 C., 10 C./12 Cn., 30 C./24 Cn. all canc. brown Pa-Kua on registered cover with brown "CUSTOMS APR 22 1897" and bold vermilion "R" alongside, in combination with french offices 50 C. tied "SHANG-HAI 22 AVRIL 97" to Boehmer, Oppeln/Germany. On reverse transits of "NAPOLI 24 MAI 97", "AMB. ROMA BOLOGNA 24 5 97" (TPO Rome-Bologna) and arrival "OPPELN 27.5.97". The handstamped address appears erased and reinstated in manuscript, adhesives lifted and re-affixed. The cover is accompagnied by the original registration receipt signed by the Shanghai counter staff. Cover is not yet listed in the excellent "The… Red Revenues on Cover" census by Benjamin Y. K. Hwa (ed. CSS 2003). The present cover bears the handwritten registration number '195', which is one earlier than cover #41 in Hwa Vol. I p. 89. This makes i (Image)

1914/19, junk series 1st Peking printing, hall of classics $10 in a bottom right corner part-imprint block-4, variety: center shifted upward 3-4 mm, mounted mint LH to MNH, few stains, this striking variety appears to be unreported. (Image)

1897, red revenue small 2 cents (oxydized) tied brown "CUSTOMS CANTON MAR 23 97" to inland cover to Shanghai w. customs dater arrival of APR 2 on reverse. This the second earliest recorded use of the Canton dater on a Red Revenue cover (the earliest being 20 March). Chan 84.References: DG of Posts, The Revenue Surcharges China 1897. Vol. I (Taipei, 1984), p. 85.;Benjamin Y.K. Hwa, The Illustrated ... of Revenue Surcharges, Vol. I, p. 64; Interasia April 2012 #409. (Image)

1862, German States to China : folded envelope from THURN & TAXIS bearing horizontal pair 3 Sgr. brown-red and 10 Sgr. orange, all on white paper with well margins light cancelled "300" (Hamburg) and "PP" in black alongside, transit mark "Forbach 27/Dec/62" in red and red crayon "22" for weight alongside, addressed to Shanghai China and name of adressee overwritten with ink, a very scarce destination, expertised Kosack and certificate P. Sem 2015 (Image)

British Offices, Shanghai, 1863, small envelope with vermilion "SHANGHAE C PAID MY 14 63" w. black "SHANGHAE C MY 14 63" on reverse via "HONG KONG C MY 20 63" to Bergen/Bavaria and fwd., LONDON PAID, french entry marking "AMB. CALAIS" resp. TPO "PARIS A STRASBOURG", bavarian transits of ELLINGEN, WEISSENBURG and BERGEN. Very unusual. (Image)

1865, German States to China : folded envelope from THURN & TAXIS bearing horizontal pair 3 Sgr. ochre and 10 Sgr. orange, all with well margins but flaw at right bottom corner, light cancelled "300" (Hamburg) and "PP" in black, transit mark "HAMBURG TH. & T.16/12" and ms. "via Marseille" alongside, on reverse transit marks Marseille and Hong Kong, addressed to Canton China, usual file folds and tiny crease, a very scarce destination, certificate Sommer 1979 (Image)

1865/1967, the amazing collection of used and mint stamps in three albums: the 1st album starts with classic Shanghai local post, then China proper with large dragon issue (often twice), the surcharged (inc. red revenue)-issues and other better values, mostly complete. The 2nd album features "People Rebublic of China" nearly complete in used condition with all the good s/s and sets between 1949 and 1967, e. g. 1962, Mei Lan Fang set imperforated and s/s, 1967 Maos theses in strips of five etc. The 3rd album contents is German Offices in China with many rare and valuable items. Find the complete collection for download on www.stamp-auctions.de (A3) (Image)