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1894 Dowager Empress 60th Birthday Commemorative Issue continued...

Large Figures Surcharges 2.5mm Setting on Dowager Second Printing

Large Figures Surcharges 1.5mm Setting on Dowager First Printing

THE "EMERALD LADY" UNUSED

Large Figures Surcharges 1.5mm Setting on Dowager Third Printing

1897 New Currency Surcharges continued...
LotNo. Symbol Lot Description
167 og image1897, Large Figures wide surcharges on Dowager, 1st printing, 30c. on 24ca. rose carmine, variety of "Three" of surcharge, type B (Chan 55b. Scott 46 var.), position 6 from the right pane, resplendent color, optimum centering, exquisitely fresh, unused with practically full original gum, lightly hinged, Extremely Fine gem. (Image1) (Image2)

image

Get Market Data for [China 55b] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Est. HK$20,000-26,000
SOLD for HK$28,000.00
Will close during Public Auction
168 O image1897, Large Figures wide surcharges on Dowager, 1st printing, 30c. on 24ca. rose carmine (Chan 55f. Scott 46 var.), variety "30" 2mm. above "cents" and Chinese character "Two" of basic stamp with distant "dot", position 5 from the right Pane, intense color, centered to foot, canceled by part "Customs/Shanghai" daters which leave the varieties clear, Fine to Very Fine example of this extraordinarily rare combination of varieties.

There are probably 15-20 surviving examples of the 2mm. spacing variety, of which only a few of these also have the distant "dot" variety.

In the unsurcharged printing, there were six panes in the sheet, with only one stamp showing the distant "dot" variety, which represents one stamp per each 150 printed. (Image1) (Image2)

image

Get Market Data for [China 55f] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Est. HK$20,000-25,000
CLOSED
Will close during Public Auction
169 og image1897, Large Figures wide surcharges on Dowager, 2nd printing, ½c. on 3ca. to 30c. on 24ca. complete (Chan 56-64. Scott 47-55), the 30c. on 24ca. has surcharge variety broken "0" in "30", vivid colors on brilliant white paper, outstanding centering, unused with large part original gum, hinge remainders, the 10c. on 9ca. has part o.g., Extremely Fine and a marvelous set. (Image1) (Image2) (Image3) (Image4)

image image image

Get Market Data for [China 56-64] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Est. HK$9,000-12,000
SOLD for HK$9,000.00
Will close during Public Auction
170 O image1897, Large Figures wide surcharges on Dowager, 2nd printing, ½c. on 3ca. to 30c. on 24ca. complete (Chan 56-64. Scott 47-55), canceled by dollar daters, the 8c. on 6ca, 10c. on 9ca and 10c. on 12ca. are canceled by "Customs/Ningpo" daters in brown, the 1c. on 1ca. has straight edge and the 30c. on 24ca. is centered to lower left, Very Fine. (Image1) (Image2) (Image3) (Image4)

image image image

Get Market Data for [China 56-64] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Est. HK$4,000-5,000
SOLD for HK$3,800.00
Will close during Public Auction
171 og image1897, Large Figures wide surcharges on Dowager, 2nd printing, ½c. on 3ca. yellow, vertical pair imperforate between (Chan 56c. Scott 47b), good color, well centered, unused with large part original gum which is slightly browned, Fine to Very Fine. (Image1) (Image2)

image

Get Market Data for [China 56c] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Est. HK$15,000-20,000
CLOSED
Will close during Public Auction
172 og image1897, Large Figures wide surcharges on Dowager, 2nd printing, 4c. on 4ca. pale rose (Chan 59. Scott 50), horizontal pair from the top right corner of the sheet with enormous margins, strong second printing color, the vertical rows of perforations are not complete at top, unused with large part original gum, Fine to Very Fine. (Image1) (Image2)

image

Get Market Data for [China 59] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Est. HK$1,500-2,000
CLOSED
Will close during Public Auction
173 og image1897, Large Figures wide surcharges on Dowager, 2nd printing, 4c. on 4ca. pale rose, horizontal pair, imperforate between (Chan 59e. Scott 50a), pastel-like color, well centered, fresh, unused with large part original gum, Fine to Very Fine, and a rare example of this variety.

Less than ten imperforate between pairs are recorded.

Provenance
"Renaissance", Michael Rogers (Winter Park), 20.3.1999, lot 154. (Image1) (Image2)

image

Get Market Data for [China 59e] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Est. HK$50,000-60,000
SOLD for HK$45,000.00
Will close during Public Auction
174 Obl image1897, Large Figures wide surcharges on Dowager, 2nd printing, 8c. on 6ca. red brown (Chan 61. Scott 52), block of four with interpane margin at right, centrally canceled by "Shanghai" dollar dater of "14 Mar 98", Very Fine and a scarce block. (Image1) (Image2)

image

Get Market Data for [China 61] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Est. HK$5,000-6,000
SOLD for HK$10,000.00
Will close during Public Auction
175 O image1897, Large Figures wide surcharges on Dowager, 2nd printing, 10c. on 9ca. to 30c. on 24ca. (Chan 62-64. Scott 53-55), the 10c. on 9ca. in block of four with interpane sheet margin at top, and the top two values are in horizontal pairs, each centrally canceled by "Customs/Shanghai" double-ring datestamp (12.5.1897) in brown, Very Fine to Extremely Fine. (Image1) (Image2) (Image3) (Image4)

image image image

Get Market Data for [China 62-64] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Est. HK$5,000-6,000
SOLD for HK$8,000.00
Will close during Public Auction
176 O image1897, Large Figures wide surcharges on Dowager, 2nd printing, 10c. on 12ca. orange yellow (Chan 63. Scott 54), centrally canceled by "Shanghai" dollar dater of "20 Jul 97" ("20" date inverted) in brown, Very Fine. (Image1) (Image2)

image

Get Market Data for [China 63] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Est. HK$1,000-1,200
SOLD for HK$900.00
Will close during Public Auction
177 og image1897, Large Figures wide surcharges on Dowager, 2nd printing, 30c. on 24ca. deep rose red, variety of "Three" of surcharge, types A, B, and C (Chan 64a, b, c. Scott 55 vars.), three examples, fresh, unused with large part original gum, the type B has largish violet guarantee mark on reverse barely showing through to front, Very Fine. (Image1) (Image2)

image

Get Market Data for [China 64a, b, c] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Est. HK$10,000-12,000
SOLD for HK$12,000.00
Will close during Public Auction
178 og image1897, Large Figures wide surcharges on Dowager, 2nd printing, 30c. on 24ca. deep rose red, variety of "Three" of surcharge, type A (Chan 64a, b, c. Scott 55 vars.), being the top stamp in a vertical pair, positions 2/7 from the right pane, deep bright color, well centered, unused with large part original gum, Very Fine. (Image1) (Image2)

image

Get Market Data for [China 64a, b, c] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Est. HK$4,000-5,000
SOLD for HK$6,000.00
Will close during Public Auction
179 og image1897, Large Figures wide surcharges on Dowager, 2nd printing, 30c. on 24ca. deep rose red, variety "30" 2mm. above "cents" (Chan 64d. Scott 55a), position 5 from the right pane, deep color, well centered within mostly large margins, unused, traces of o.g., Fine to Very Fine. (Image1) (Image2)

image

Get Market Data for [China 64d] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Est. HK$5,000-6,000
SOLD for HK$5,000.00
Will close during Public Auction
180 og image1897, Large Figures wide surcharges on Dowager, 2nd printing, 30c. on 24ca. deep rose red, showing broken plate (transfer) variety (Chan 64, var. Scott 55, var.), vertical strip of three, the transfer variety is at left in the lower two stamps, dull color, unused with practically full original gum, Fine. (Image1) (Image2)

image

Get Market Data for [China 64, var.] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Est. HK$4,000-5,000
SOLD for HK$12,000.00
Will close during Public Auction
181 O image1897, Large Figures wide surcharges on Dowager, 2nd printing, 30c. on 24ca. deep rose red, showing broken plate (transfer) variety (Chan 64 var. Scott 55 var.), one canceled by Shanghai Customs dater, plus an example with "white accent" above "Cn" in lower right tablet, Fine to Very Fine. (Image1) (Image2) (Image3) (Image4)

image image image

Get Market Data for [China 64 var.] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Est. HK$1,500-2,000
SOLD for HK$1,700.00
Will close during Public Auction
182 og/O image1897, Large Figures narrow surcharges on Dowager, 1st printing, ½c. on 3ca. to 10c. on 12ca. (Chan 65-72. Scott 56-63), bright fresh first printing colors, mostly well centered, comprising ½c. on 3ca., 1c. on 1ca., and 4c. on 4ca. to 10c. on 12ca, unused with large part original gum, and the rare 2c. on 2ca. green, the "Emerald Lady", canceled by "Shanghai" dollar dater in brown, blunt perf. at foot, nevertheless Very Fine and an attractive assembly. (Image1) (Image2)

image

Get Market Data for [China 65-72] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Est. HK$40,000-50,000
SOLD for HK$40,000.00
Will close during Public Auction
183 og image1897, Large Figures narrow surcharges on Dowager, 1st printing, 2c. on 2ca. green (Chan 67. Scott 58), bright characteristic first printing color, usual rough perforations, centered to the lower left as are the other two recorded examples of this great rarity, unused with large part original gum, hinge remainders, a couple of small light red lines on reverse, possibly the offset from a quadrillé notebook in which some sheets were kept (the Quintin Tan Kok Tin example also had red marks on the reverse according to contemporary viewing notes), Fine to Very Fine.

Until now, there were only two universally recognized unused examples of the "Emerald Lady"

Provenance of these two recorded examples

The first example of the large figures surcharge 1.5mm. setting on the Dowager first printing 2c. on 2ca. was discovered in Shanghai in 1925, and verified as genuine by Dr. M.D. Chow, following his original doubts about its existence.

The two documented examples emanate from the following collections.

Example No. 1
  • Lt.-Cmdr. G.T. Baines, Robson Lowe (London), 13.1.1961. lot 391.
  • Dr. Warren G. Kauder, Robson Lowe (London), 10.11.1971. lot 435.
  • Mizuhara Meiso, who purchased the stamp in the Kauder sale.

Example No. 2

  • Sir Percival David, Robson Lowe (London), 22.7.1970, lot 180. Sir Percival had visited Shanghai in late 1942-43, and may have bought the stamp during this visit, since he had his philatelic acquisitions shipped back to England.
  • James Huangco was the purchaser in the David sale and was the first person to aptly name this rarity the "Emerald Lady"; however, he later died in an automobile accident.
  • Quintin Tan Kok Tin, Spink (Hong Kong), 21.1.2007, lot 214.

The third example, which is offered in this auction, was discovered by Mr. Wen Sun Kong in a classic China collection sold in the Stanley Gibbons auction of 26 June 1998, lot 675. Despite Mr. Kong's opinion that the stamp was, indeed, genuine, the paucity of any reliable expertizing methods, objective evidence, or comparative reference hindered the rendering of a definitive opinion. Since only a few stamps in the setting have specific surcharge characteristics, identification by this means is difficult.

The appearance of Quintin Tan Kok Tin's example (No. 2), which was auctioned by Spink in Hong Kong on 21 January 2007 (lot 214) was the "game changer" in proving the genuineness of Mr. Kong's stamp, which, as it transpires, is the lower stamp in what was originally a vertical pair with the Quintin Tan Kok Tin stamp.

The bottom stamp and its perforations at top are a match when it is placed below the second example, especially at the lower left corner of the top stamp where the perforation protrudes strikingly, thereby resulting in a missing corner perf. in the adjoining top left corner of the lower stamp. This distinctive perforation is clearly visible in the Sir Percival David catalogue (No. 2), as well as in the Prize Selections from the Rocpex Taipei '81, where Quintin Tan Kok Tin had exhibited his stamp. However, the protruding bottom left perforation is not visible in the Spink catalogue, and appears in the photo to have been folded under, while the reverse side of a perforation seems to show at the lower left next to the now missing corner perforation.

Finally, the most important criterion was to obtain the watermark positions of both stamps in order to confirm that these initially formed a vertical pair. According to Tony Kwan, "all Dowager stamps were printed on watermarked paper with its own pattern which is one of the useful tools to re-construct Dowager and its surcharged issues" (Asian Philatelist, 2013, p. 71). The viewing notes from the Quintin Tan Kok Tin catalogue show a pencil drawing of the watermark position on the stamp, which is a perfect match with the watermark position of this example, thereby enabling us to reconstruct the vertical pair.

Interestingly, the contemporary viewing notes for the Quintin Tan Kok Tin stamp mention "red stains at back". Could this also be similar to those light red lines referred to in the above description?

References
Dr. Chan Shiu Hon, The Empress Dowager Birthday Commemorative Issues and Surcharges (Hong Kong, 1996), p. 123.
Prize Selections from the Rocpex Taipei '81 (Taipei: Directorate General of the Posts, Republic of China, 1982), p. 137.
Robert Kong, "The New Discovery of the Third Mint Copy of the Emerald Lady", Asian Philatelist, Vol. 14 (August 2023), pp. 32-40. This highly informative article not only details the step by step story and investigation of the stamp's genuineness over a twenty-five year period, but also gives the well-known history of the other two recognized examples. (Image1) (Image2) (Image3) (Image4) (Image5)

image image image image

Get Market Data for [China 67] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Est. HK$1,500,000-2,000,000
CLOSED
Will close during Public Auction
184 og image1897, Large Figures narrow surcharges on Dowager, 3rd printing, ½c. on 3ca. to 30c. on 24ca. complete (Chan 74-81. Scott 65-72), the 5c. on 5ca. in horizontal pair, the rare 30c. on 24ca. pale rose red is of an especially radiant color with a deepness approaching that of the first printing, centered just to lower left (slightly blunt or irregular perfs. at left), unused with large part original gum, Fine to Very Fine. (Image1) (Image2) (Image3) (Image4)

image image image

Get Market Data for [China 74-81] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Est. HK$50,000-60,000
SOLD for HK$50,000.00
Will close during Public Auction
185 O image1897, Large Figures narrow surcharges on Dowager, 3rd printing, ½c. on 3ca. pale chrome yellow (Chan 74. Scott 65), horizontal strip of four, misperforated vertically, canceled by "Shanghai" dollar dater of "1.6.97" in brown, earliest recorded date of use for Shanghai, perfs. trimmed at sides impinging on frame of left stamp, Fine. (Image1) (Image2)

image

Get Market Data for [China 74] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Est. HK$1,500-2,000
SOLD for HK$1,500.00
Will close during Public Auction
186 ogbl image1897, Large Figures narrow surcharges on Dowager, 3rd printing, ½c. on 3ca. pale chrome yellow, variety surcharge omitted (Chan 74b. Scott 65 var.), block of six with sheet margin at right, good color for this, unused with part original gum, lower row has diagonal creasing, Fine to Very Fine. (Image1) (Image2)

image

Get Market Data for [China 74b] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Est. HK$4,000-5,000
SOLD for HK$15,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

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