Book One
Reference Notes
Junk, Reaper, and Hall of Classics
Issues 1913 -1933
Forward
This is a book about the Republic of
China 1913 Definitive Stamp issue.
Used exclusively as regular postage
on mail there from 1913 to 1933 or
until local supplies exhausted.
This is my research and notes
regarding this issue including,
articles, newspaper clippings,
notes, monologues, auction house
reports, catalogue listings etc, etc.
A collection of facts and information
about this one particular issue of
stamps.
my philetic specialty
Madison Place
December 1997
Bob Zimmermann
The Beginnings of the Chinese Bureau of Engraving and Printing
as Assisted by U.S. Personnel by George W. Brett
This is a melding of scraps of information from all the sources we
could develop in a few months' time triggered by a thick file of information graci-ously supplyed, last year, by Mrs. Mary Denison, widow of Eilert Denison. They
had lived and worked in China for many years and were quite knowledgeable in
this area. Ellery also was a member of the American Philatelic Congress Council
for some time. Even so, our presentation is far from a thorough exposition, but
it does throw some light on a subject that we have heard about for years
concerning some U.S. artists and crafsmen going to China to set up an official
security printing plant. Necessarily, part of there job was to train local people to
handle all aspects of production so they could take over eventually. In this they
were successful, for as well as we have been able to determin the
establishment still exists today, enlarged , and is now called the "Beijing Bureau
of the Central engraving and Printing works" (Ma, 1988, p 545).
(for Chinese names , as most of the events we covered occurred well before
1949,we have endevored to use the older romanization system designated
Wade-Giles,with one exception, Beijing. Under this older system Beijing was
known as Pei-ching [or even Pei-ping] but more commonly as Peking. The
current romanization system, including Beijing and known as pinyin, was
introduced by the Chinese in the 1950s [Univ, of Chicago, 1982.)
China has a long postal history of hundreds of years. Then in the latter half
of the 19th century what was termed a Customs Postal System was established.
Following this, by a drecree of March 20, 1896, a Sir Robert Hart was entrusted
with the organization of an Imperial National Postal System (Howes, 1912).
Stamps were issued, starting in 1878, and there were several series up to 1908
when our story starts. In that year a Dr. Chen Chin-tao, with associates, was
sent to visit the U.S. and European countries to investigate the manufacture of
securities. Dr. Chen had prevailed upon the Empress Doweger to sanction the
construction of an engraving and printing plant near Beijing. He apparently was
given broad powers, and the Chinese representatives started by visiting the U.S,
first in May 1908. There, at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington,
they were given a list of desirable people, the list being headed by Lorenzo J.
Hatch. Mr. Hatch had been an employee of the International Bank Note Co.,
New York, which was a wholly owened subsidiary of the American Bank Note
Co. However when the Chinese first contacted Hatch they were turned down
and told to look elsewere, which they did by visiting Great Britain, France
and Germany. In July 1908 they returned, as they felt that Lorenzo Hatch was
the key person that they had to have. The result was that after some extended
negotiations he was hired to head the establishement and operation of the new
facility and to pick his own associates, etc. He was given an unrestricted six
year contract, with even the building constructed under his supervision.
3
Hatch started out by tendering his resignation to the president of the
International Bank Note Co., 18 Broadway New York City, on August 12, 1908,
and this was eventually accepted and forwarded to Mr. Major of the American
Bank Note Co. (ABNCo had purchased International Bank Note Co. in 1902
and operated their plant seperately util 1911 (Griffith, 1959). We assume that
this Major was Alfred S. Major, who held a number of different offices in the
American Bank Note Co. from 1880 to 1929.
Following his resignation. Hatch then proceeded to pick out a select few to
accompany him to China. They comprised the following (Howes, 1918):
section at ABNCo.
John J. Gilfoil of New York a Vignette engraver
W. E. Dickinson, Orang N. J., who headed the geometric lathe
Evan S. Stokes from the Bereau of Engraving and Printing, Washington
a siderographer.
Lorenzo J HatchBorn in Hartford, N.Y. July 1856
Died in China Feb. 3, 1914 age 57
William A. GrantBorn in the Bronx, N. Y. City, N. Y., August 10, 1886.
Died in New Hampshire, 1954 , age 86.
We have no information on the other three Americans who went to China.
Hatch himself was a designer and portrait engraver, and in this case became
superintendent, you might say, of the entire operation. Further, it was necessary
to order and arrrange shipment of the basic equipement needed-and doubtless
this was done both before and after going to China.
The group sailed for China in Nov 1908, and when they arrived in Hawaii
they were informed that the Emperor had passed away on Nov. 14th and we
understand that the Empress had also passed away. In there place was a
three-year old HsuanT'ung, a nephew of the emporer, who had been appointed
as successor to the throne. The latter operated under his father, the Prince
Regent, until political disturbances and a revolution initiated by Sun Yat-Sen
successfully overthrew the Manchu dynasty and the Republic was proclaimed
in November 1911.
In the meantime, of course, progress was made on the establishement of the
new Bureau of Engraving and Printing under Du Zhi Bu (the Minister of Finance)
of the imperial government. It is stated by Howes (1918) that a firm of
Washington architects drew the plans for the building, and that these were
based on our own Bureau of Engraving and Printing, However, from the
appearance of the Chinese building (Figure 1 ) compared with our own
topsy-constructed building at the time we would have to say that the
relationship could only be in terms of the organization of the work,
not the building itself.
4
Using temporary quarters, while the main production building was being built, the teams
first priority was currency, with work on a new series of notes being started in 1909. The first
plates for currency were completed in 1910 (Kranister, 1989), and a fifty million dollar issue was
run off. Still, it was to take roughly three years from the start and, as already mentioned, a
successful revolution occured in late 1911. A republican government took over with the abdicaton of the then six-year old Emperor on Feb. 12,1912. Yuan Shih-kai was elected president, tak-ing the oath on March 10, 1912 (Howes, 1917). The result was that the new currency was never
issued and was destroyed.
Postage and Revenue Stamp Issues involving the
Americans
With this inauspicious start on currency, Lorenzo J. Hatch had in the
meantime also designed and engraved a set of dies for what is termed the
issue of September 8,1909 (Scott 131-133)(Figure 3). This was a commem-
-orative issue relating to the first year of the reign of Hsuan T'ung (Henry
Pu-yi).as the Chinese Bureau of Engraving and Printing was not as yet a
going concern, the dies were sent to London where the plates were made
and the printing performed by Waterlow.
Here we have a bit of a problem. In checking photos of numbered Waterlow
prints at the Royal Philatelic Society, London, questions arose as to what
had actually happened. Our recording comprised:
Waterlow Die No.
4331
4332
4344
4343
4345
Denomenation
—
—
2c
3c
7c
notes
Frame master *
Vignette master
Frame with Waterlow imprint
II
II
II
II
*Noted in the Waterlow record with date of 4/15/09 and indicated by Geoffrey Wood at the Royal that this would
have been the date given out to the engraver, meaning to a Waterlow engraver. Based on this record, however.are
we correct in what was stated in the proceeding paragraph that Hatch engraved the dies? There is no question from
the record that he did the designing, and the statement as to the dies being engraved by him is based on the article by
Johnson 1949,wherein it is stated in a letter written by Mrs.Hatch to Theodore Steinway: "The Temple of Heaven
issue i am sure was designed and engraved by my husband." Then Johnson comments" it is possible that the
master die (sic) for this issue was engraved in Peking and sent to London for processing. Inquiries have been made
to Waterlow in the hope of settling this point." Whether this was cleared up we do not know. Our tentative
interpretation is that Hatch engraved the master dies 4331 and 4332 and that Waterlow then produced the three de­
nomination frame dies from 4331, adding there imprint below the frame design. 'Waterlow & Sons Limited, London.
"The Vignette master die, 4332, would not necessarily have required any work at Wateriow's.
The next item, considered chronologically as best we can, postage stamps
first, is what is designated as an engraver model in Haverbeck(1964-65)
(see Figure4)
figure 4
The method of making the design is not indicated other than that it is in red. But
was it a pen and ink rendering, a watercolor, or something else? It is suggested
as being 1912 related and is marked in grant's handwriting as "not used". With
this association the suggestion is that it may have been made by Grant and is
probably a pen and ink example. However, the Junk ship on it is almost
identical to that used in the 1913 "Junk" series with a train in the background,
so this appears to be an artist's rendering of a design not accepted for that
series and it would involve Hatch as designer, at least in part.
Next, a commemorative set was proposed in 1912 showing a map of China
(Figure 5). This even progressed to the stage of being printed, but it was not
issued and most specimins were destroyed . The Design would be by
Hatch so far as
6
we can determine, and the engraving is attributed to Grant (Johnson, 1949).
Figure 5
We understand that there are several errors in the design (Howes, 1918), this
being one of the reasons for the issues destruction. Die proofs are known,
and we list 14 denominations the 7c being an addition to other listings of 13
we have seen (Haverbeck, 1964-65)
Die No .
Denomination
Die No.
Denomination
1c
16c
2c
172
20c
3c
171
50c
5c
$1
168
7c
$2
170
8c
$5
167
10c
169
$10
The next postage stamp development was a set of essays intended as a first
regular issue of thr Republic in 1912, and eight values, but which never made it.
It was presumably designed by Hatch (Johnson, 1949)" see also Haverbeck,
1964-65(Figure 8)
figure 8
* Design in Figures 4 + 5 were used on Revenue issues of Manchukuo in the 1930's
7
From Beckeman collection sold at Zurich Asia Bennet sale # 15 Nov 1 2007
lot 270 rel HK$58,000
lot 269 rel HK$30,000
lot 271 rel HK$230,000
lot 296 rel HK$28,000
In other words, the somewhat similer designs ot 1923, that we would
designate as Type III, would have been the first made according to this
scenario. Thus Type I, the 1913 issued stamps , would have been copies
made by Waterlow but with some added embellishments and based on prints
pulled from the Type III dies. Then Grant would have copied the Waterlows
and this set, which we designate as Type II, was issued in 1915. There is no
question but that the Type II copies the Type I, or vice versa, while the Type
III issue of 1923 clearly shows different characteristics.
Taking the three sets in the order of issuance, we have Type I, the
Waterlows, issued May 5, 1913:
Scott Nos. 202-220;
Rice Harvesting
Junk Design
Waterlow Die No.
Denomination
4945
4947
4948
4949
4950
4951
4952
1/2c
1c
2c
3c
4c
5c
6c
4953
4554
4555
7c
8c
10c
Waterlow Die No.
Denomination
4960
15c
4961
16c
4962
20c
4963
30c
4964
50c
Gateway, Hall of Classics, Beijing
Frame
--------4965
4966
4967
4968
Waterlow Die No.
Die No. Vignette Denomination
4946
"
"
"
$1
$2
$5
$10
The Waterlow die number recordings were made from numbered
photoes of die prints at the Royal Philatelic Society, London. There were also
in the records unnumbered photos of die prints in preliminary (essay or
master die?) condition but it was impractical to fit them in. Interestingly,
Waterlow used the term "casement" for what we call a "Frame" engraving,
including those dies for the preceding Temple of heaven issue of 1909.
We found no record of actual engravers for these dies.
Now we come to the first Beijing issue of 1914-15, which is credited as
having been engraved by Grant: Scott Nos. 221-242:
9
Die No.
306
306
Rice Harvesting
Die No.
Denomination
Junk design
Denomination
1/2c
1c
1 1/2c 1919
2c
3c
4c
5c
6c
7c
8c
10c
13c 1919
15c
16c
20c
30c
50c
Gateway, Hall of Classics, Beijing
Frame
Die No. Vignette Denomination
289
"
"
"
"
288
$1
$2
$5
$10
$20 1919
(Here we inject an aside that China joined the Universal Postal Union Sept. 1,
1914, but had made individual postal agreements with several counties prior
to that time)
Next we present the third set of dies, Type Ill's for the China Republics first
regular issue. As for the TYPE H's production was performed by there own
Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
The second Dec. 14, 1912 set bore a portiat of Yuan Shih-kai and was
inscribed "In Commemoration of the Republic": (Figure 10):
Figure 10
Die No.
219*
223
224
219*
225
226
227
Denomination
Die No.
Denomination
Blank master die(illustrated, Johnson, 1949)
1c
16c
228
2c
229
20c
3c
230
50c
5c
231 ?
$1
8c
232 ?
$2
10c
233
$5
*From the notes we have. Die 219 may have been both a master die and later a
3c die for the second set.
(the original copy of this article contained a not: Die 28 had only the 3c Dr.
Sun Yat-sen design of this set: the other dies had the designs of both sets.)
10
The die numbers are the same for each denomination of the 2 sets, except
for the 3c, becouse, as mentioned earlier, the dies bore the engravings of
both design, the Sun Yat-sen design being above the other. If indeed die 219
correctly acted both as a master die and later as a 3c die, and die 218 the
same for the other set with Dr. Sun Yat-sen, confirmation is needed, as that is
not the usual practice.
Now we come to the most interesting set of designs, one which developed
into three sets of engravings, with questions that we may have to leave
unanswered. This is the "JUNK" series(referring to the first of the three designs
used), the first regular issue to be produced and issued under the Republic. The
three designs comprise a junk ship for the low denominations: harvesting rice
for the intermediate denominations: and the Gateway, Hall of Classics, Bejing
for the high values, the latter being bicolored.
A more detailed description of the three designs follows: The low deno-minations show a Chinese Junk in full sail upon the Yelow River with the bridge
of the Tientsin-Pukow railroad near Tsinanfu in the distance, and over which a
train is passing. The bridge was formally opened Dec. 1 1912. The inter-mediate denominations show a rice harvesting on the grounds of the Temple
of Agriculture with the Alter of the Moon in the distance, Beijing. The dollar
values show the triple-arch entrance to the Temple of Confucius, Beijing(Howes,
1919) (Figure 11)
Figure 11
Fig. 11. Rrpresenuiivr regular sumps of the T\ prill 1923 “Junk” Issue* com prising
the denominations produced from early numbered d i«, the 3c, 20c. end $1.
.Scott No*. 252. 262. anti 265.
Again we have the attribution problem, Johnson, 1949, reports from a letter
from rant's son-in-law, Mr. Hopkins, that "Mr. Hatch designed only the center of
the stamp (s). The border was Mr. Grant's design and he did all the engraving.
At the time the dies were finished political trouble caused the post office officials
to send the order to Waterlow & Sons in London and they re-engraved the
stampsfrom prints taken from Mr. Grant's dies. Their work was not very good
and later the post office asked Mr. Grant if he could copy the Waterlow stamps
so that the public would not know the difference. This he did and printing there-after was done in Peking. In 1919 the post office decided to use the original
dies. This last step is apparently the 1923 issue. According to the report by
Johnson, 1949, as previously quoted , this set was jointly designed by Hatch
and Grant, and engraved by Grant, starting in 1912-13, comprised scott Nos
248-269 (see Figure 11):
11
W Wk 1 It V
Die Nos.
Denomination
1121
1/2c
W i W* > I
Notes
Approved March 13, 1922,"D.M."*
1 171
in
Apnrnvan Maren 13 1922 "U M "
1122
1 1/2c
Approved March 10, 1922,"D.M." Die not
useo
1157
1 1/2c
Approved June 8, 1922. "D.M." this is a
rnannroimH trnncfarfrnm Hies
t w wk tjy t wi v
wt
tw * w 1 IIVIII watw--
1122
238
1123
2c
3c
4c
1123
be
1 1 90
i
.
No Information
II
It
It
II
Annroveo l-eo 22 1922 "UM"
1124
6c
Approved March 21, 1922. "D.M."
1230
7c
Anoroved oct.3. 1922 "UM"
8c
Approved March 21,1922 "D.M."
1124
1120
10c
Aonroveo Feo 6, 1922 "D.M."
Rice Harvesting
1125
1224
1125
239
1126
1126
Frame
13c
15c
16c
20c
3oc
50c
Approved Feb 18. 1922 "D.M."
' Approved Sept. 14,1922 "D.M."
Approved Feb. 16, 1922 "D.M."
no information
Aporoved Feb 10, 1922 "D.M."
Approved Feb 10,1922 "D.M."
Gateway. Hail of classics, Beijing
Vignette
240
1156
1156
1156
1156
$1
$2
$5
$10
$20
no information
Information on dates of approval and the initials of the person approving has
been taken from die proofs.
The duplicate die numbers in the listings indicates dies with the two
denominations side by side on the same block as shown in figure 12. note also
that we lack an early die number for the vignette of the dollar value.
Problems are indicated by the recorded die numbers taken from die proofs,
and we refer specificaly to the major recording by Haverbeck. 1964-65. To this
listing we have been able to add a few more numbers but there still gaps. In any
event, if we go by the die numbers and the dates of approval recorded for the
1923 issue, the theory that this set preceded the other two is not supported. In
an intaglio security printing plant dies are the bread-and-butter of the operation
and accordingly are tightly controlled. Consequently, when a blank piece of steel
is issued for the preparation of a die, a number will ordinarily be assigned and
12
stamped into that piece. So here we have for the Type II dies, the first BEP
issue, numbers in the late 200's and early 300's. Then for the Type Ill's, several
early 200's but most of them are in the 1100's—quite a jump. If the Type Ill's
were the first made, there numbers should have been in the 200's, and as we
have three such recordings, we need to consider them very carefully.
From now we shall go on and complete our recordings of the period to the
departure of Mr. Grant from China in 1928. Mr. Hatch had passed away in China
Feb. 3, 1914, before completing his six year contract, so from that time on most
attributions will correctly be to Grant as best we can determin from records
which we have examined.
Fil»- 12. Div pt mif »»f Cite l\ pv Ilf
.1»h- uutl
tliii.aiiir-.ti>> K
Fir- IA Budiy div ptmf >4 M ‘tfe.MK J 'c.
Hr >> $ •IT «n|! Vang G.h -
“■.lunlt *' mur,
rni:riirri-iil vwimvKib'’ ■ fl hv
ihe Mime Meet h mi. i’w '•o- UZfo.
IMt5(
l»i; 1>I. ScMt %». 4M. U. I ■•ir»mco*in. set
itf 1'1*1 lit." ''ri -»nA;ii>r<jry r»f rw
l Itlkr
Going back to the point where our Chronological listings were halted in order
to link the"Junk" series together, we now have some more unissued designs,
starting with an effort by President Yuan Shih-kai in Dec. 1915 to overthrow
the Republic and establish a constitutional monarchy with himself as emperor.
Strangely, designs were prepared by an Italian artist, L. George (Kilgas,1988).
Yuan Shih-kai was unsuccessful in his bid (see Figute 13):
Die No. Denomination
502
495
5c
10c
50c
An associated engraver of just the portrait of Yuan Shih-kai is number 512 and
a print is known signed by Wm. A. Grant as engraver. This was in several artist's
montages or models that were not accepted (Haverbeck, 1964-65).
13
If*. 15. Srn« Nu. 37L Jt. 1923. h«« ” rrfntirnnrul;»'f
v* Hrjwn. sixn>
•-.; |f, >r^u< 571. 4c, t$QK.
wf «'»»•
Ow
nF nm rirrviiHiKMi. FtaU»e>» the
»» > wrui Navy tn»Mw|£ Tiw» lieu {Kipbt^
On October 10, 1921, a commemorate set was issued for the 25th
anniversary
of the Post Office. We would say it was designed by Grant and also engraved
by
him based on materia! he had in a personal collection (Haverbeck, 1964-65):
Scott
Nos. 243-246 (Figure 14):
Die No.
Denomination
1025
983
1025
1026
1c
3c
6c
10c
This next issue released was a set on Oct. 17, 1923, in commemoration of
the
adoption of a new constitution. Again, based on scanty records, we attribute
design
and engraving to Grant (Haverbeck, 1964-65): Scott Nos. 270-273 Figure 15):
Die No.
Denomination
631
625
632
633
1c
3c
4c
10c
Then, finally our listing of stamps for ordinary postal use concludes with
another
commemorative set which was issued Mar. 1, 1928. This was for Marshall of the
Army and Navy Chang Tso-lin. On the basis of the existence of a model signed
by
Wm. A. Grany. we assign the design to him and conclude that he also engraved
the issue in view of his possession of assorted die proofs (Haverbeck, 1964-65):
14
Scott Nos. 276-279 (Figure 16):
Die no.
1894
1887
1895
1896
Denomination
1c
4c
10c
$1
As well as we can determine , this was the last issue fore regular postal use
that we can assign to Grant. He left China in this same year and while we
understand that the Chinese tryed to induce him to come back, he would not do
so and was to pass away in 1954 in the U.S. There was a 1929
commemorative issue on the unification of China and the design was
characteristic of Grant designed prior issues, but we have no definite tie-in
and do not believe it should be so credited.
Airmail Issuesc
In the 1920's China had her first airmail issue and this, according to the pub­
lished record (haverbeck, 1964-65), was designed and engraved by Grant. Also,
according to the record, he was especially proud of this air mail set and it was
one for which he had many commendations. It was issued July 1, 1921, with a
model also recorded having the plane in a different orientation: Scott Nos. C1-C5
bicolors (Figure 17):
Frame
Die No.
Vignette
Denomination
Frame
999
II
Die no. Denomination
Vignette
15c
999
60c
30c
"
90c
45c
This design was later revised to show a diferent emblem on the tail of the
airplane: it was issued july 8, 1929. We include this revised set in our listing as
the design is practically identical to the proceeding issue so can be mostly
attributed to Grant, though the change would have been carried out by others:
Scott Nos. C6-C10, bicolors (figure 18):
15
nio Mo
Vignette
Frame
Denomination
15c
OvC
45c
uuC
90c
The frame dies should be the same as for C1-C5, but the vignette die should be different.
Postage Dues
Our first listing for this catagory is an unissued postage due design
developed in 1912, inscribed "Chinese Republic Post" (figure 19). We have
no positive information as to designer or engraver but see our comments
on the 1915 issue following our 1913 listing and this preliminary one:
Waterlow produced a 1913 due issue similare in design to the proceeding.
Again, we have no information on the engravers but we have obtained Waterlow
die numbers through the courtesy of the Royal Philatelic Society, London. One
can assume that Hatch was the original designer but that is not firm: Scott Nos.
J43-J50 (Figure 20:
Waterlow Die no.
Denomination
Waterlow Die No. Denomination
4969*
4970*
4971
4972
4973
1/2c
1/2c
1c
2c
5c
4974
4975
4976
4977
10c
20c
30c
4c
*lt is assumed that die 4969 was not satisfactory and that 4970 took its
place.
There was also a non-denominated unnumbered possible master die print for
this
due series in the Waterlow records.
Fig. 19.
dur design
1912. pmhuhli hi Utrmni J. Hutch fur the live uf UuU-rlim- in Ixmdnn. This
K an cvxin die priMtf. <
I-it- 20- Re pn«■ >1^1 ill fniui
I
(Jiw
i»f 1911 In Wuurlim. S*
i .14.1 i< mM. pmilhli bavil «<n Uji,
<< VrtEvr)
21.
from WIS poMugr dirt
produced b> the (‘hirtVM*
Pranlinu* Ht proem trd bi SkiiI 151: mimaicrl lit Um 4 farina
16
of
i»ip
Now we have a locally produced 1915 due issue which closely follows the
Waterlow design. This 1915 issue was probably engraved by Grant in view
of his possesion of proofs, but it required little design input and may well
have been a similar rerun as done at this same time for the regular issue of
postage stamps, the "Junk" series, Type II. In fact, we recorded from a letter
on Nov 28,1945, sent by R.O.D. Hopkins to Theodore Steinway, that Grant
credited Hatch as the designer of a set of postage dues. This may go back
to the essay mentioned proceeding the Waterlow issue, specifically listing
die no. 178, for which we have a note saying "prepared for London". That
sounds similar to the start of the "Junk" series in that Waterlow was suppied
with designs from China and did the first production, the main difference being
that only two sets of dues resulted as against three sets of "Junks". So we list
the 1915 dues as designed by Hatch but with the dies engraved by Grant:
Scott Nos. J51-J58 (Figure 21):
Die No.
290
186
186
187
Denomination
Die No.
187
188
188
188
1/2c
1c
2c
4c
Denomination
5c
10c
20c
30c
The preceeding list indicates several double-design dies and one triple.
Revenue Stamps
Durring the Hatch-Grant period, another catagory of stamps produced by the
Chinese Bureau of Engraving and printing was for assorted revenue usages.
The first was a set of Board-of-Law Fee stamps, issued in 1912. While we
believe the engraving was done by Grant, we find no good clue as to the
designer. Of course, there is always the Carte blanche statement by Johnson,
1949, that all stamp designs came from Hatch's drawing board while
he was alive: (Figure 22)
17
L- &rJ OorJ
PqjnT IpO.
General Commentary and Conclusions
l he record indicates tnat Lorenzo Hatch spent a lot ot his time on organizing
and managing the plant as well as helping to train local apprentices. There is no
reason to doubt that after he died, William Grant took over and did the same,
handling up to several hundred people. We are, nevertheless, puzzled about
one thing, as it is said that grant learned only one word ot Chinese during the
entire time he was there. That sounds like a negative if one is going to teach
people how to do things. Ot course, he had a translator and it is said that he
would sketch out his points as he made them, so he made out, apparently,
very well.
Now as we review the die number assignments, it seems clear that the
Chinese Bureau ot Engraving and Printing started out with a single numerical
series which included all kinds of stamps. Whether it also included transfer rolls
and plates, plus currency and other security work we do not know. There
seems to be some overlapping of number assignments around 1920
or so, e g., the commemorative stamp sets of 1923 tor the new constitution
provided die numbers in the 600's but in 1922 there were approved die proofs
numbered in the 1000's. This suggests that the constitution set had actually
been prepared back around 1916-17. If that can be accepted, it would take
care of this apparent discrepancy and overlap.
This leaves the problem ot the third type of "Junk" issue in view of the reports
made that this issue was the first prepared. This doesn't seem to correlate with
most of the die proofs approved and the die numbers that we’ve listed. Yet,it we
look carefully at the engraving it appears, in our opinion, that the Type m is
distictiy different and the best job ot the three sets, type I and II, on the other
hand, are clearly imitative of each other. Still, there are many differences
among the three sets. For example, the engraved water lines on the Type
I Waterlow Junks extend out on numbering of the dies? We would like to
frame lines. This is not the case on I ype Il's or Ill's. And many other
differences, can be noted figure (26,27 and 28 3S a sample). But if we "Buy"
the story that the I ype III dies being first, how do we reconcile the seeming
breach Of security practice in the numbering of dies? We would like to
accept the story tor another reason-the tact that these Americans went over to
China to train a force to do security work on there own certainly by 1923
or even 1920,etc. .there should nave been a reasonable compitent Chinese
organization. Also, if only for developement, the Chinese should have
doing some of the engraving by the 1920's.
Apprentice engravers should develope in periods of up tp 1U years it they are
going to succeed, and certainly the time is adequite here. So this argues that it
makes sense to consider. Grant did the enaravinos tor I voe III, that he did
it early on and not as late as 1922 becouse by that time the local people he was
teaching should have been ready to "fly". Of course, the later record that we
seem to have doesnot help on this score given Grant credit for engravings as
late as 1928. But if the Americans had been doing there job in teaching and
20
[developing a workforce, the expertise of there students should have been
shown ng up well before the Americans returned to the States.
There is also another big gap in the record of what occurred. For
instance, we here nothing about the other three people who accompanied
Hatch and Grant,and one of them was a vignette engraver, so what happened?
The result is that we have questions that are now difficult to answer. The
possibilities of finding answers requires examination of the records and
the printed examples that have been given to those envolved to several
museums and other repositories. These include the following:
Hatch material and correspondence given to the Huntington Library, Pasadena,
Calif. Grant material given to the Smithsonian, duplicating(?) items that are
now also in the Cardinal Spellman Philatelic Museum, Weston, Mass. The
Century Association in New York also has some material but we do not
believe there holdings would be as helpfull as the others.
Further Consideration Related to the "Junk" Series
While someone else will have to check the repositories, we can again review
the die record. Here we can see that there is an apparently missing factor in
that only one master die is listed, outside of the 1909 Waterlow Temple of
Heaven issue, No. 218. So what is a master die? A master die is commonly
used when there is a series in several denominations, all having the same
basic design. Another variation would be the same frames but different centers.
Take the "Junk" series, for example. There are only three designs, with one a
bicolor. Thus under a master die system only three nondenominational dies
(possibly four in this example becouse of the bicolors) have to be developed,
with each bearing only the repetitive parts of the particular design. After
hardening those, as many subsidiary lay downs from each as there are
denominations are made, and then the denomination indications are added.
The new laydowns will all be made via an intermediate hardened transfer roll,
of course. Here is where, in a training and developing organization,
apprentices would be assigned to a task like this. After all, if they spoiled a job,
another laydown, etc. could easily be prepared
Following a master-die sequence for the Type III "Junk" series, there would
be 11 subsidiary laydowns for the ship, six for rice harvesting, and five for the
Hall of Classics. The latter being bicolors, there would be a master die for
the frame only, the vignettes being the same for all denominations and so not
requiring a master die and die duplication. Thus in total there would be 26
single dies required for the issue, 22 specific denominated dies, three masters,
and one non-specific die. But this would not be nearly as onerous an engraving
job as one might think. Yes, there could be some touching-up of each of the
final dies but that again would be something for the apprentices to do. But not
a single master die is recorded for this series, so we are not seeing the whole
picture, or we are considering it incorrectly.
Although we have discussed the master-die system, there are at least two
21
other ways a series can be developed in line-engraving intaglio printing and
result in short cuts in making multiple denomination dies in the same design.
One variation would be to develope a complete engraving for one
denomination, then harden the die. take up one or more transfer roll reliefs,
and then modify the relief(s). One can readily cutoff the denomination
indications on a soft relief before it is hardened and the result would be
the same thing,in effect, as having a master die without a specific
denomination. Once thattransfer roll is hardened, as many subsidiary
laydown dies as needed can be made.
There is still another possible variant, and that is to develope a master die.
harden it. make a transfer roll, harden that in turn, and then make as many
laydown as desired. Then the engraver can go back to the master die, soften
it, add a desired denomination to it, and use it like one of the laydown dies.
Why would eather of these variants from master-die system be used? There
might be a short supply of master die steel and a need to utilize every piece to a
greater extent. The second variation is somewhat risky becouse hardening and
softening a piece of steel provides the chance of distortion, but it has been done
any number of times. We also note that many of the Chinese dies listed here
have two designs on them, suggesting a possible tight situation on die steel,
or of course, a need to hold down cost.
For these possible ways it should be noted that there is a back-up in every
case should something go wrong, and that back-up is the intermediate transfer
roll relief, so there is an ample safety factor.
What was done in the example that we have of the "Junk" series? If we
knew what was on the prints suppied to Waterlow, we could be quite definite
but since we do not know, we have to consider probabilties. Our feeling is
that the prints supplied to Waterlow were complete designs with denominations
and comprised a single representative of each of the three designs used in the
series,specifically, prints from 3c die 238.20c die 239, and $1 frame die 2*40
plus an unknown numbered die print for the vignette of $1.
So the story that the Type III "Junk" designs were first made works out in the
end. though not quite in the way that we considered would be the case in the
beginni ng. In fact, it took a while before we realized that the answer was very
apparent. When a scientist, or anyone for that matter, has data that does not
seem to fit, he tends to reject it and that is what we have done with several of
the die number recordings. Initally we believed that they did not make sense,
the records must have gotten confused in there type assignments, etc. Yet the
information was stored in our brain and suddenly it began to make sense and
we finally realized that we had the answer all the time.
Beyond this, we have examined some of the engravings for Type Ill's in detail,
checking the handling of different parts of the design, and it is possible that some
sub-classification scheme might be worked out which would indicate that different
22
apprentices worked on the final dies, touching them up, each in his own way.
Butthat is a possible study that we shall leave for someone else. Of course,
it is an assumption on our part that the developing staff at the BEP did some ,
of the work, but that was the purpose of the Americans being there. So
consideration of that possibility needs to be kept in mind even if one cannot
be specific unless one has access to records that could exist on such.
Finally, in this presentation we have not considered the several overprints of
stamps that were performed in the period covered, though many were done at
the Bureay of Engraving and Printing in Beijing. But the overprints were simply
numerals or Chinese language characters, or combinations of same, and we
see no specific input as to design or engraving that would have particularly
involved the association. All overprints that we have examined have been
standard letterpress jobs, and they present no peculiar security features.
We have also nottryed to cover ail the models and essays known to exist for
the period covered, particularly as presented in Haverbeck. 1964-65, so anyone
interested in seeing more items that did make it are referred to this reference.
What we have tryed to present are all items existing with die numbers plus some
related designs.
Acknowledgments
Last, we should acknowledge some critical notes in the Ellery Denison file
which have enabled us to provide the die records given and to develope our
conclusions. In fact, the source of our information , if not otherwise attributed,
may correctly being assumed as being this file . Of course, there still gaps
and uncertainties for others to wrestle with,so this present article is no final
word. We also acknowledge the assistance of others in our effort, incloding
Gorton Torrey: Barbera Mueller Gina Horn: and other staff at the APRL. State
College. Pa: Jim Bruns and Nancy Pope at the Smithsonian in Washington
also assorted unnamed delers who provided material, including in particular
Michael Rogers, Inc. Florida. When we started on this presentation, we were
skeptical that we would have anything worthwhile to say, but it has turned out
better than we felt was possible.
Also before completing this article we were privaleged to have access to
some of the Waterlow records at the Royal Philatelic Society, London, through
the courtesy of Geoffrey Wood, assistant Curator, and Patrick Pearson,
President.
References cited
Anonymous, 1957, Illustration and information on the Chinese Bureau of
Engraving and Printing: China Clipper, v. 22, No. 1, p1
Dickie, A. M., 1966 "Imperial Bank Notes": The China Clipper, v 31 No. 1 pp5-8.
23
Griffiths, Wm.H., 1959, The Story of American Bank Note Company: American
Bank Note Co.. New York 92 pp.
Haverbeck. D.D.S., 1964,1965,"The Collection of Essays and Proofs of Wiliam
Grant": The China Clipped1964), v.28, No. 2 . pp, 23-33: also in The EssaysProofs Journal (1965), v. 22, No. 2 pp, 51-57: and No. 3, pp 119-125.
Howes, C.A., 1912, "China it Postal Organization and Postage Stamps": The
American Philatelist, v25,pp251-261:282-295.
----------- 1917-1919 "China and it's Stamps" selected installments of a lengthy
unfinished article in Meckeel's Weekly Stamp News, esp v. 31, April 14.1917.
PP126-127: Nov. 3,1917, pp 361-362: v. 32, Feb. 2,1918 pp 37039: Feb. 23,
1918. pp 61-62: v 33. Nov. 22.1919. pp425-427.
Jackson, Dr. Glenn E., 1986 "Lorenzo J. Hatch. Bank Notr/Stamp artist-from
Vermont to Peking": The Essay proof Journal, v 43. No 4, pp 140-149.
Johnson.Malcolm, 1949 'The Designer of the Peking Junk": The China Clipper,
v. 12. No. 6 pp77-79.
Kilgas, Carl A., 1988, "Yuen Shih-Kai Emporer of China" 1915-16: American
Philatelic Congress Yearbook, pp 41-69, (this article is also suggested as an
information source regarding political happenings of the period
Kranister, V.. 1989 the Moneymaker International: Black Bear Publishing Ltd.,
Cambridge, Englamnd. 326 pp pluse end papers.
Ma Ren-chuen, 1988, Ma's illustrated Catalogue of the Stamps of China:
Hill-Donnelly Corp., Tampa Fl 33629 788 pp.
University of Chicago, 1982. The Chigago Manual of Style, 13th edition: The
Univ, of Chicago Press. Chicago III. 737 pp. esp. pp 270-274.
Addendum
After writing the proceeding, an article in the Collector Club Philatelist has come to
our attention. Written by Carl A. Kilgas, it was entitled" Interesting and Unusual Items
from a Specialized Collection of China". Page 347 of CCP col. 63(Sept.-Oct 1984)
discussed the 1923 designated second Peking Print of the "Junk" issue, mentioning
the 3c die number 238, the 20c numbered 239, and the dollar value dies numbered
288 and 289. The die numbers for thw low denominations agree with our record
but those for the dollar values do not. In fact, we have instead recorded that dies
288 and 289 were used for the dollar values of the "First Peking Junk", and
considering our source material we feel that the CCP article is wrong in that respect.
The CCP article, however does give another piece of information to the effect
that the estate of Lorenzo J. Hatch was auctioned by J.R. Hughes in Jan. 1954.
Accordingly that sale catalogue may useful as a source for more information.
24
Thore is. I think, a clearer method of dis­
tinguishing between the higher values. The
dollar values, in the London print show a
white rectangle for the middle window abovo
the arch; in the Pekin print, this is a distinct
aval In. my own copies, the T-shaped table
in the right-hand opening doos not disappeca
in the PoHn print but becomes Y-nhapod, like
ct man with arms up-stretched.
—H. Bodford-Jones.
Pictured on the dollar values of China’s re­
gular postal series of 1913-1915-1923 is the Hall
of Classics that stands adjacent to the Tempi*
of Confucius in the northeastern
corner of Peking. It is a lofty
square building with a tile roof
that has been enameled imperial
yellow and is of a pure type of
Chirrse architecture modeled on
ancient lines. The four sides
consist, each one, of folding
doors with tracery panels. It is
surrounded by a circular moat
with marble balustrades crossed by four bridges.
In the grounds are a stone and porcelain pai-lou
and along the main courtyard stand many tablets
covered with inscriptions which comprise the com­
plete texts of the nine classics. Formerly it was
the custom of the Emperor to come to this famed
Hall on state occasions and, seated on the throne,
provided for the occasion, tQ expound the classics.
The throne building contains tablets erected to
the memory of several well known Emperors.
CHINA—Scott’s #231 Imperforate layer'mate horitontal pain a»4 r|rtoe of three of
this stamp have recently been dleeovsred. It
is said that only one sheet of stamps with tbs
perforations. co Using exists, consisting Of 70
Imperforate pairs and 20 strips of three. This
looks as if ths sheet of 200 fell into phila­
telic hands and has been cut up Ln*o the num­
ber of strips and pairs stated.
(Philatelic Maaaxlns)
Pictured on the 13c-5Oc (inclusive) denomina­
tions of China’s regular postal series of 1913
1924 is one of the “Farmers
of Forty Centuries , as the
Chinese tillex; of the soil has
been so aptly referred to.
The Chinese farmer is one
9f the most painstaking1 and
meticulous agriculturists of
the world. This stamp depicts
him harvesting rice -which io
one of the mainstays of the Chinese diet, From
planting to transplanting to irrigating to harvest
ing and threshing, the production of rice in China
is a wholly manual process In the prolonged
warm weather months throughout China millions
of farmers and their helpers laoor tn the fields
from sun-up to sun-down- carefully and cauUdU.’Fy nursing these j prettous rrice crops tn some
localities, up to. three crops are raised and bar
vested in a single twelvemonth.
What more fascinating of
artistic design than this CMnese J unk sailing «n the
Yangtaze
River was ever
portrayed on a postage stamp T
This design furnished the
motif for China’s regular post­
age series from 1913 to 193X
on denomination! up to 10c.
Here is a acene of peace,
ouiet and tranquility as gvntle breezes catch the
colorful sails of these non-motored Chinese craft
and send them skimming through the muddy and
yedow waters of China’s great network of water­
ways. Herein lies a vastly important chapter in
the long; life of a great ax^i populous nation.
Because, for centuries on end, the Chinese junk
has played the leading role in the nation.’! traosport On thes* junks, millions of ChiMM haw
been born, reared, worked and died for many
generations past. The junk has furnished their
worldly homes and has earned for themetheir
livelihoods.
It has been a matter of surprise to many
that China was able to reach such an advanced
stage of development with practically no system
of roads (until recent years when road-building
only started.) China, as a matter of fact, had
not been in any dire need of roads becaose af
the very fine system of water transportation.
Around Canton, Shanghai, Hangchow, Soochow,
Ningpo, Chinkiang, Nanking and throughout
practically all of the great plains section of
eastern China, the many natural waterways han
been improved with the addition of connecting
canals until the country is covered with a crisacro’* of water routes which have afforded a
means of transportation more economical than
the best of roads.
These junks vary greatly in size and type
of construction, dependent upon the nature of the
waterways and streams for which they have been
built to piy. Collectively, these junta have been
the conveyors for the very great proportion of
all of China’s freight and passenger traffic. The
crews and their families have their homes in
small, stuffy quarters aft and the womenfolk are
almost as good navigators as the mem It is not
uncommon to find the women and girls manipulat­
ing the tiller aft which guides the craft Their
dogs, cats, birds and other pets, as well as small
flocks of poultry (sometimes), have places in ths
scheme of family life aboard these junks.
In yesteryears, on journeying along the
mighty Yangtsze, one could never get out of
sight of enormous numbers of these junks which
were peacefully plying their trade. But since the
Japanese invasion of China, the Yangtsze is a
concentration center for Japanese men-of-war,
military transports and Japanese merchantmen,
all bent upon the subjugation of the Chinese
government. The peaceful Chinese junk has been
crowded out of the ?chem? of things all along
the great Yangtsze from Shanghai to Shaai.
The District accountants who supplied stamps to collectors at the five
big Post Offices, were no philatelists. When I lett Tientsin in 1928 I
wrote to the Office there to send me full sets on the French paper, which
was not out for all values before my departure, and for Sinkiang, and other
overprints. What I got was a hopeless jumble, and I never bothered to sort
them, making up my deficiencies on my return in 1932.
Unfortunately my collection is in the Bank in London, but it was fullywritten up, and I should certainly have said when I got the whole set. of
the 2nd Peking printing. At a guess I should say 1924 as I think the $10
and $20 were withdrawn about three months after issue. When Chang Tso-lin
issued his special commemorative set of four in 1928 the high values were
again put on sale to raise the wind. I bought a whole sheet of the 7 cts/
but I think on London paper. I am going to chance a block of four in here
with margins and hope it will get through.
Yours very sincerely,
Valentine Burkhardt.**
Malcolm Johnson (1949:79) mentioned that two dies were known for the low
values of the 1923 Junks; the l/2c, 1c, 4c, 5c and 7c are separable by an ir­
regularly oval figure with a dot in it, amongst the waves just above th«*C of
Cts. Davis christened this the "dolphin" and gave an excellent figure of the
4c to show it. Actually, this "dolphin" and the adjacent waves are different
for four of the values; the 4c and 5c are the same and the l/2c rather like
them, but the 1c and 7c are quite distinctive. Two other dies have not been
recorded in the literature available to me; the 6c and 8c show a figure com­
parable to the "dolphin" but larger in the waves at the left side above the R
of REPUBLIC. The 8c differs from the 6c in that the outer frame line on each
side of the stamp bulges out beside the oval at each top corner and the box at
each lower comer. Occasional copies of the scarlet 6c have the top frame lin«
broken above the white ball in the top left corner, but all examples of the
brown 6c seen by me have this break.
Zurich Asia sale 13 28 june 2007
393
393
1915 overprinted “Limited for use in Sinluang Province*
on First Peking printing $1 black and ochre pair, right
stamp the error 2nd and 3rd characters transposed,
showing characteristic sheet guide line along right vertical
row of perfs. on the error, fine unused with large part
original gum, hinge remainder and minor age spotting on
gum. One of the four Treasures of the Republic of China.
Ex M.F. Huang collection. Chan PS16a. Photo
HK$ 400,000 - 500,000
The statement by Johnson and Johnson (1949:6) that the 15c of the third
Junk set ’’was not issued until 1933” is presumably a slip, 1923 being intended.
In Burkhardt’s July 2nd letter the reference to wet and dry printings re­
fers to comments in my second letter to him. I had noticed considerable vari­
ation in the heights of the designs of the stamps, as I had then separated
them, Canadian vs. French papers. For instance in my ’’Canadian” paper series,
measured with a plain millimeter ruler, the l/2c to 10c were 22 nun high or
very close to it, while the 13c to 50c were more variable but in the 21.8 to 22
mm range. For the ’Trench”, the l/2c to 13c were fairly uniformly 21.S mm
high, the 15c to 50c more variable and in the 21.3 to 21.6 range. I am unable
to agree with Davis’ statement that the 4c slate grey and the 6c scarlet do not
occur on thin paper. Copies before me of the 4c have either a thick paper and
measure 22 to 22.15 mm high, or a thinner paper and measure 21.75 mm; the 6c
on thick paper measures 22 mm, on thin 21.4 to 21.5.
My 1951 attempt to explain the varying heights (there were variations in
width too, of course) was to presume the use of both wet and dry paper methods
of printing, though catalogues did not list the Bureau’s use of a dry process
until the 1933 single-circle Dr. Sun Yat-sen issue. To account for comparable
differences in the Waterlow Dragons, Aglen (1974:107-108) was influenced by
the thorough study and tabulation of the Peking and Hong Kong airmails by Liv­
ingston and Sklarevski, 1949; thus h© suggests that some values of the Dragons
might have been printed ’’against the grain” to use up what would have been
wasted paper otherwise. These matters of the various heights and widths of the
design in the printed stamps, and the several dies, need further study in any
review of the second Peking Junks. Certainly my own 1950-51 separations into
thick and thin papers was in part erroneous. I am convinced that Burkhardt was
correct about there being three different papers in general use (i.e., not
counting the experimental printing on watermarked German paper), and in his
sequence, London, Canadian, French. I now believe that the key to their recog­
nition lies in the Provincial Overprints.
Postal Commissioner C.H. Shields published a notification which was re­
printed in full in a short article by W.L. Chow:
Order No. 5844
Shanghai, 31st January, 1927.
Issue of Overprinted Stamps for Use Exclusively in Ki-Hei District
Postage stamps overprinted * m 23IKJH" will shortly be placed on sale
at all postal establishments in Ki-Hei District.
These overprinted stamps are not valid for franking mail matter orig­
inating in other ports of China, and such mail matter franked with these
stamps is therefore to be taxed. Nail matter originating in Ki-Hei and
fully prepaid either with overprinted or un-overprinted stamps is not to
be taxed. Overprinted stamps may not be exchanged for un-overprinteZ
stamps.
It is further to be noted that these overprinted stamps for Ki-Hei
are the first stamps to be printed on a new grade of stamp-printing paper,
manufactured in France.
Corresponding T’ungyu *(&&) on this subject will be issued in due
course.
C.H. Shields
Commissioner
The part of immediate interest for us is the short paragraph reading "It
is further to be noted that these overprinted stamps for Ki-Hei are the first
stamps to be printed on a new grade of stamp-printing paper, manufactured in
France”. These stamps overprinted for use in Manchuria are indeed on a hard
thick paper, which must be the French paper of Burkhardt, and clarifies his
statement ’’The 6cts brown could only have been on the French paper as no more
Canadian was ordered after the printing had started on the French”.
The 1924 set overprinted for use in Sinkiang is on a thin paper, which by
date and color ought to be the London, while the 1926-36 Sinkiang are presum­
ably chiefly on Canadian paper, with some later use of French. The 1926 over­
prints. for Yunnan are on a thick (Canadian) paper, except for the $5.00 and
some copies of the 3c which are on thin, as stated in Ma’s catalogue. The prob­
lem thus appears to be to distinguish the French paper from the Canadian, rather
than from the London.
REFERENCES
AGLEN, E.F. 1974. The Water low Dragons, Carps and Flying Geese.
Chinese Philately, 21 (6):104-114, J fig.
Journal of
BURKHARDT, V.L. [error for V.R.]. 1927A (1926).
[Untitled letter to the Edi­
tor, M.D. Chow]. Philatelic Bulletin, 2 (4):36-37. (The first 39 pages
in the •’front*’ of this number are in English; they are followed immediately
by page 65 of 65-1, numbered in Chinese fashion from the ’’back” forward,
the text of this part being mostly in Chinese. This ‘Winter Number 1926’
was not issued until early in 1927; page 1 of the English section includes
reasons for the issue being a couple of months late.)
BURKHARDT, V.R. 1927B.
[Untitled letter to the Editor] Philatelic Bulletin,
3 (l);20 (page 20 of the English section; see note above).
BURKHARDT, V.R. 1930,
3 (7):124-126.
Stamp Collecting in China.
Gibbons* Stamp Monthly,
BURKHARDT, VALENTINE R. 1951, Rambling Reminiscences of Collecting Chinese
Stamps. China Clipper, 15 (2);38-42, 8 figs.
CHOW, W.L. 1927. Issue of Ki-Hei Overprinted Stamps, Philatelic Bulletin,
3 (1):15-16.
DAVIS, J.O. 1973. A Study of the Junk, Reaper and Hall of Classics Stamps of
China, 1913-1933. Journal of Chinese Philately, 20 (3):$6-60; 20 (5) :8789, '1 un-numbered plate facing p. 88.
HUGHES, J. ROBERT.
1938.
JOHNSON, MALCOLM. 1949,
(6):77-79, 7 figs.
The Re-engraved Junk Plates.
China Clipper, 2 (5):2,
The Designer of the Peking Junks,
China Clipper, 12
JOHNSON, MALCOLM, and H. HERBERT JOHNSON. 1949. The Specimen Overprints of
China. Part 1 - Regular Postage Issues. China Clipper, 14 (l):l-7, illust.
KILGAS, CARL A, 1975. 1926 Experimental Printing of the Junk Issue on Water­
marked Paper. China Clipper, 39 (2):50, 1 fig,
LIVINGSTON, LYONS, and RIMMA S^LAREVSKI, 1949. Peking Hong-Kong Airmails.
China Clipper, 13 (1^2):20-27, 4 figs., tables.
MA, ZUNG-SUNG. 1947. Ma’s Illustrated Catalogue of the Stamps of China. Ed­
ited by [the] late Ma Zung-sung, compiled, supplemented and translated by
Ma Ren-chuen. Shun Chang 8 Co., Shanghai [viii]+S68 pp,, illust,
SHELDON, S.R,
1938.
(as quoted by J.R. Hughes* 1938, q.v.).
SHIELDS, C.H. 1927. Order No. 5844. Issue of Overprinted Stamps for use Ex­
clusively in Ki-Hei District,
[as reprinted in an article by W.L. Chow]
Philatelic Bulletin, 3 (1):16.
THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE LONDON AND
FIRST PEKING ISSUES OF THE REPUBLIC.
by
H. Herbert Johnson
College of the City of New York
This article is intended to provide a ready means for identifying, without
a lens, the two printings which constitute the first regular issue of the Chinese
Republic- Every collector of China should bo able to distinguish these printings
quickly, especially in America, where most dealers follow the usage of Scott’s
catalogue, and make no effort to separate the two issues in their stock. While the
Stephens catalogue provides a usable key to the prints, it is not available to many
American collectors, and overlooks salient features of real value- The writer
independently worked out the present description before any other came to his hands.
However, a very few points have been borrowed from tho Stephons catalogue in order
to make this account more complete•
In 1913 the newly established Republic released an issue in three designs,
with values from the -J/ to #10.00, engraved by Waterlow & Sons, Ltd., of London.
These are attractive stamps of bright colors; Scott’s Nos. 176- 194 inclusive.
Stephens lists them, as Nos- 181- 199. While the engraving is very good, evidence
of hasty work exists in tho large number of minor plate varieties, sUch as
double transfers, scratches, lay-out marks, etc., and these, provide a rich field
for the student of microscopic varieties. On the half cent, certain double trans­
fers are so conspicuous as to be seen easily without a lens.
Later the Chinese Bureau of Engraving and Printing, in Peking, began to
release stamps of similar design locally prepared from new plates. "While the lines
of these engravings are coarser, often giving the stamps a smudgy appearance, the
plate work was more careful, hence the greater scarcity of double transfers, lay-out
dots, etc. The 1^/, 13/, and #20.00 values were added, existing only as Peking
prints. The Scott numbers are 176- 197 (and include the London printings); the
Stephens numbers are 200- 221 inclusive.
Tn general, the London prints are of brighter color, due to finer cut lines
in the engraving. When viewed from .the back the paper is seen to be thinner, and
the white wove pattern is less obvious than is true of the Peking prints; the design
averages slightly taller, 22mm., while the stamps from Peking vary around 21Jnm*
All of these are small and variable differences. The size of the design does not
trace to the dies, but results from a differential shrinkage factor in the paper.
Detailed differences in the designs are given below.
THE JUNK DESIGN
London Print* (A) Th© fringe of vertical lines under the upper panel, just above
the junk, consists of much finer lines. (B) The pennant on the second (taller)
mast of the junk is longer and more pointed than on the Peking print, and there are
more shading lines be tureen the masts!. The 2/ differs from the other values in
having a pennant of intermediate length, and with heavy shading above the masts
extending to the upper panel. (C) Shading lines on the foliate ornaments and pearls
are longer and thinner* The upper right foliate ornament is sho^m enlarged, Fig* IC.
Note that two shading lines are under the heavy dot. (d) The pendant omoment under
the upper left oval is curved and pointed at the tip. It has two distinct shading
lines as shown in Fig. D. (E) There are strong diagonal shading lines in the front
sails. (F) The wave under the bow of the junk at the right is blunt, and does not
touch the junk— Stephens. (G) There is no dot in the water over ”Unof’’Republic” •
(H) Minor differences: The water is lighter, showing the reflection of the junk
more clearly; the inner frame line is lighter; strokes in the top Chinese charac­
ters are more delicate and differ in very small details from the Peking prints.
Certain values of the London set, e.g. the 2,7,8, and 10/, and, to a lesser extent,
the 5 and 6/ show a double line at the top edge of the highest sail. This is
missing, or nearly so, on the other values and on the Chinese printings.
Fig.
The Junk Desi
Peking Print. (AQ The vertical lines under the upper panel are so heavy as to run
together and form a pronounced shadow. (ET) The upper pennant is short; and abson
of shading lines between and above the masts makes a white patch on the stamp.
(C*) The upper right ornament has only one line below the dot and a short line to
variety with the dot missing. Fig. IC**. This is constant and fairly common
is found in strips and blocks. It probably represents a break in tho transfer roll
which occurred while the plate for the 10/ was being laid out. Mr. Samuel Pay has
also discovered this variety, and is collecting information concerning it. (D*)
The pendant ornament below the left oval is blunt, with one heavy shading line.
(E*) The front sails are dark, the diagonal shading lines are quite difficult to
see. (F*) The wave under the right bow is pointed and touches the Junk. (G*) There
is a dot in the water just above WUM in REPUBLIC.
THE REAPER DESIGN
The oheraot©risties which are listed first are easily soon, and bofvo to
distinguish the prints at first glance.
London Print* (A) The hat brim, is straight, and much thicker in front.. There is
little difference in color between the hat and the face of the reaper; the nose Is
not prominent (Fig* 2 A). (B) The back of the left leg protrudes and has a he airy
spot of color (2,B); the left foot touches the shadow; the heavy shadow line of the
scythe diverges from the blade; the scythe touches the grain. (C) There are differ
ences in the first and fifth Chinese characters, counting from the right, as illus*
trated, Fig. 2 C«
( D ) The shading lines in the upper ornaments are thinner and
the leaves more pointed, approximately as illustrated at Fig. 2D. (E) The heads
of grain in the side panels are coarser; not as smooth as in the Peking prints, and
a line of color inside the right panel is thicker at the top than at the bottom.
Peking Print. (A^ The hat brim, is thin in front and distinctly upturned; the nose
is more pointed. (B*) The back of the left leg is gently curved; the left foot
does not touch the shadow; the tool does not touch the grain. (C*) The fifth
Chinese character is flat at top, not close to the edge of the panel. Also, the
shadow of the middle tree behind the reaper’s back is lighter than the other two.
The irregularity of the dots under "Cts", mentioned by Stephens, has been
of no service to me in differentiating the printings*
Identification of London and 1st Peking Issues - 3.
TEE HALL OF CLASSICS DESIGN
The stamps of this design are printed from two plates, one for the frame,
and one for the central vignetto. In spite of this, they arc more difficult to
distinguish than the lower values* Usually tho Peking prints havo tho vignette
printed much darker, with the walk loss clearly marked off from tho grass; but
this is not always so, and a few London prints are darker than tho lightest ones
from Peking •
FiR. 3
Hall of Classics Design.
London Prints»
Vignette:
(A) Perhaps the most eas
distinguished character is found in tho troo at tho
u vx -ho building* This
tree is light in tone, with finely cut tranche a and leaves* The leaves show no
definite pattern (Fig* 3,A). I believe Stephons transposed tho description of tho
tree to tho wrong set of prints* (B) In tho doorway at right there is a small
white mark like a cross or "T", as illustrated* Also, the roof and walk are usualty
light in tone, and in the doorways tho details are clearer* Roof at the extreme
left is gently curved* Framer Of the large character in the upper left corner, tho
downstroke is of even thickness. Fig. 3, C. Tho curl of the upper right ornament
has a small but characteristic difference* Tho central part soems like a white
spot on the design, the lines are fino and not parallel,, as shown at D. The first
character in the upper panel is almost like tho one in tho roapor dooign.
Poking Prints. Vignotto: (A*) Tho tree at tho right has fivo heavy loaves at tho
top, arranged in a definite pattern, thus x There are heavy shading lines behind
the trees. (B ) Tho white mark in the right doorway looks more like a Y than a T*
Also, on the roof the tiles and ornaments are heavier, and sharply marked off from
the sky. The part of the roof at Extreme left is straight and much heavier. The
engraving linos in the grass are straighter at tho sides, not short curved lines*
Frame: (C*) Tho upper left character han the downstroke notched near the base, and
the hook docs not touch the inner linos. (D*) Tho upper right ornament is as illus­
trated* (E*) Of the two lines just* below’ the upper panel, the upper one ends in
a narrow hook, leaving more space between it and the bottom line. Fig. 3, ET.
In the central vignette, the walk has some light colored and some dark
flagstones. Mrs* Johnson pointed out that in the London issue the three dark stones
closest to the doorway aro almost in a straight lino from right to loft; whoreas
in tho Poking stamps tho middle ono is out of lino and below tho others. This ono
has two heavy engraving linos above it visible without a lens.
THE POSTAGE-DUE DESIGN
The large character in the upper left corner, in the London issue, is near­
ly flat on top (Fig. 4 A), but in the Peking set is curved as shown at 4A\ In the
upper panel, the 1st and Sth characters are much like those illustrated in the
reaper design. The left side of the 6th. charactor forms a right angle in the
Peking issue, but in the London sot the horizontal bottom, stroke juts out slightly.
Both Scott and Stephens point out that between the five V-shaped marks (upper cen­
ter) and the panel arc two background linos in the London sot, only one in the
Poking stamps, but a lens is noodod to see this clearly. The London stamps have
above the top V a single line that stands cut without a lens, while the lines
in this position on the Poking stomps scarcely show when unmagnified.
CLIPPER v. H,#4, p. 8
When Yuan Shih-k’ai called together the first National Assembly, he was elected the first President of
the Ps.epublic. Immediately after his installation as President, he set to work systematically to destroy the
two Houses of the Parliament. Charges were made against many of the members, and they, remembering
the summary executions of the previous summer, fled. When a quorum could not be formed in either
House, Yuan dispersed the rest of the members, and called together a new National Assembly, the
members of which were well under his control. Then there began a skilfully conducted propaganda to
make it appear that the people were calling upon Yuan to make himself Emperor. With feigned
indignation he put the prize from him, until after many entreaties, all concocted by his subordinates,
with pretended reluctance he consented to accept the crown. He duly announced that the Empire would
be proclaimed on the 1st of January, 1916.
Forgeries sold to collectors on Ebay Auction web site
DATE OF ISSUE FOR THE FIRST PEKING JUNKS - 1914 OR 1915?
K. W. IRLE
Of eight catalogs consulted, six - Scott, Gibbons, Livingston, Ma, Fappadopulo and Reman - ‘give 1915 as the date of issue for these stamps. Only two Siddall and Schumann - put the date of issue in 1914. A study of postmarks on
this Issue was undertaken in the hope that some relevant information could, be
obtained.
As to dates according to the solar calendar, only one pertinent postmark
was found: on a 1/20 stamp cancelled Tientsin 20 Dec. 14.
Postmarks with the dates according to the lunar calendar were somewhat more
plentiful. The year 1914 is the 3rd. year of the Chinese Republic so all cancel­
lations on the 1st Peking issue with the Chinese character for the 3rd year in
the postmark were carefully scrutinized. This year according to the solar cal­
endar extended from Jan. 26, 1914 to Feb. 13, 1915 - its length being due to the
inclusion of an intercalary month, a second fifth month. An examination of
tables giving the equivalent Chinese lunar calendar and foreign solar calendar
dates shows that only cancellations with dates not later than the 15th day of
the 11th month of the 3rd year according to the Chinese calendar indicate use
within the solar calendar year of 1914.
A list of 1st Peking issue stamps meeting this requirement follows:
Denom.
30
10
10
10
30
30
10
Postmark
Lunar calendar date
Solar calendar date
Peking
Peking
? Honan province
Peking
?
Wuchang
Peking
10th day of 6th month
4th day of 8th month
20th day of 8th month
21st day of 8th month
7th day of 9th month
23rd day of 9th month
13th day of 11th month
Aug. 1, 1914
Sept. 23, 191^
Oct. 9, 1914
Oct. 10, 1914
Oct. 25, 1914
Nov. 10, 1914
Dec. 29, 1914
Then there were one 30 and three 40 stamps all dated 10th month of the 3rd year
but with the day and town portions of the postmark missing. These would have
been used between Nov. 17th and Dec. 16th of 1914.
On the basis of this data, it appears that at least some denominations of
the 1st Peking issue were first used in 1914. Possibly a study of larger quan­
tities of the other denominations than were available would show that some of
them, too, were first used tn 1914 and that this year is the correct date for
the issue.
NOTE. At a meeting of the New York chapter, the foregoing was given to
Norman Ma to check over. Out of curiosity he looked at the album pages of his
own collection showing the 1st Peking issue and 1 ediately noticed that the $1
value was postmarked Soochow, the 24th day of the 10th month of the third year
which is the equivalent of Dec. 10, 1914.
DATE OF ISSUE OF FIRST PEKING JUNK
A.M. DICKIE
There does not appear to have been any official date of issue of the earlie:
stamps of China and this has caused much speculation- This is particularly true
of the Large Dragon about which many articles have been written. The generally
accepted date of issue for the first Peking Junk is 1915 and is used in all of
the catalogs with the exception of Siddall.
The plates were made and the stamps printed by the Chinese Bureau of Engrav
ing and Printing, probably in 191U. They were considered an exact copy of the
Waterlow Gteanps and were put into the regular stock and used when the previous
issue ran out. Someone showed some portions of stamp and surrounding paper
which led to a general discussion, in which it was revealed by
another member that the Chinese Post Office issued a wrapper with a
2c. junk stamp in green during the First World War period. This is
almost an unknown item.
FIRST
PEKING JUNKS DATE OF ISSUE
by I.P.T.Bebb
Members are referred to Mr.K. W.Irle’s note ’’Date of issue for
the First Peking Junks - 1914 or 1915?” in The China Clipper,
vol.21 (July 1957), p.77$ where this problem was first raised.
Ed.
All the leading catalogues, incZuding the official one recently
published by the Directorate of Posts, Taipei, list the date of issue
of the ’’First Peking Junks” as 1915, no month being given. The one
exception, I believe, which I have not consulted, is Siddall’s Catal­
ogue, which gives the date as 1914*
Recently, whilst going through some Shanghai Local Post cancell­
ations I found conclusive evidence to prove that the Peking Junks were
in fact issued in 1914- The evidence consists of nine 1c. Peking Junks
on piece with Shanghai Local Post cancellations with dates as early as
7 August 1914* In. addition there is a block of six of the same value
with two superbly clear strikes of the Shanghai registered squared
circle, 17 SE 14.
A further search through the same lot brought to light two further
copies of the 1c. clearly cancelled Chingkiang 27 OCT 14, 3c. used in
Tientsin 30 SEP 14, and a 6c. with a doubtful ordinary Shanghai can­
cellation of 24 OCT 14« Of the date' there is no doubt. The existence
of copies from places as far apart as Tientsin and Chingkiang would
seem to refute the assertion that the stamps had leaked in some way.
Since there seems to be no clear information of an official nature
- the Taipei Catalogue seems particularly vague - it would appear that
the First Peking Junks were, some time in 1914, grafted on to the all
ready existing London Junks. Since the above observations may start
members on a hunt through their postmarks it will be interesting to
see if a date prior to 7 August 1914 shows up, whether there are add­
itional values to the -Jo. , lo., 3o., and 60., and what other places
may be added to Tientsin, Chingkiang, and Shanghai.
•
The fact that all the cancellations I came across had the date and
place in English and not Chinese made them eeem the more readily not­
iceable. It is probable that similar dates exist ”in Chinese”.
POINTERS ON I DENT I FI CAT I OK
Henry Renouf
FIRST JWK ISSUE
The first regular*- issue of -the Chinese Republic was -the so-called J-unte
issue , printod in London in 1913 and later in Peking
The Scott catalogue
lumps the two printings together, saying in part that the differences are too
minute for description or illustration.” This is untrue as evidenced, by other
catalogues and plenty of articles written on the eubject, but may be partially
responsible for the confusion in the minds of many collectors. In any oase
there is no need for this confusion for the simple reason that we have a
positive criterion to go by in telling them apart* The Peking printing has
three values, one in each of the three designs, which the London pointing
Jacks. Thus any stamp which has the same details of engraving^as the 1^- ,
13 ft, or $20. must be of the Peking printing, k few of the chief points of
difference are as follows:
In the Peking printing with th© junk design, as per the
value, the
crest of the wave under the bow of the boat comes to- a sharp point and touches
the boat (Fig. 1, P). On the London printing this crest is rounded off and
does not touch (1,L)> the water as a whole looks somewhat smoother. In the
Peking print the line of railway ears on the bridge fade out to faint dashes,
especially the last two on the left, while on the London these two still look
like oars. The little vertical linos or fringes that depend from the curved
upper panel are much heavier and longer on the Peking than on the London.
There are a dozen other differences visible to the naked eye, but I have never
had to look for anything other than the appearance of the waves.
z.
111
In the reaper design the 13£ stamp is our standard for the
Peking print. Note the top of the second Chinese character from the
/
left in th© central panel curving over the temple. It is a light,
horizontal stroke, well separated from the upper frame line of the
*’ '
panel. In the London printing this stroke is thicker and wedge shaped, almost
touching the frame line above it. On the right and left of the stamp are two
large ears of grain, which, in the London print touch the frama lines above
them, while on the Peking they are slightly separated. from the frames. In the
London the reaper’s left foot rests solidly on the ground
his sickle
touches the grain while in the Peking -his foot has a blank space under it and
his sickle does not quite touch. With a magnifying glass many other differ­
ences are quickly noted, but for my part I have never had to look much further
than that second-from-the-left top character first mentioned.
In the dollar values the first thing I look for is the tree to the
right of the Hall of Classics. In the Peking, as per the $20, if we are lucky
enough to have it, the top of this tree consists of five heavy dots placed as
in th© corners of a square with the fifth dot in the middle, while in the
London there are a larger number of much lighter dots (Fig. 3). The white
figure in the right hand doorway looks something like a cross in the London,
but in the Peking resembles a capital Y (Fig. 3J. Also the inking and shading
throughout is likely to be heavier in the Peking than in the London.
If the foregoing plus a little application doos not produce results, I
recommend reading Prof. Johnson’s longer article on this same subject in ths
April, 1938, CHINA CLIPPER.
IV, 5
THE TWO COUPS D’ETAT DURING THE EARLY HISTORY
OF THE CHINESE REPUBLIC
c. CH ku
In reading Mr. Rankin's very interesting article, Postal Markings, in Vol.
XIII, Nos. 1 & 2, of April 15, 19^*9, I a® reminded of the two Eclipses or Inter­
ludes in the early history of the Chinese Republic. As these eclipses were re­
corded philatelically and as the facts have already- become rather hazy, I believe
it fitting, that, the dates and data be recorded as a chapter of the Postal History
of China.
The first Coup d'Stat took place In 1915, when Yuan Shih-kai
declared himself "Emperor". His empire lasted about 100 days
(December 11, 1915, when he was elected Emperor to March 22, 1916
when he revoked Monarchy). 1916 was proclaimed to be the First
Year of Hung Hsien; thus most post offices had the dater changed
to the "First Year", only very few had "Hung Hsien, First Year’
in the daters, as of January first, 1916. (Fig. 1) Covers are
Fig. 1
found to bear a posting date of Jan .-Mar-ch, the First Year and a
back stamp of the Fifth Year (of the Republic) on arrival. It might appear to a
casual observer that the letter took more than four years to reach its destina­
tion. For further reference, the following outline is offered:
Aug. 1U: Six politicians headed by Yang Tu sponsored the so-called "Peaceseeking-" or "Peace-planning-Society", expounding the theory that a Constitu­
tional Monarchy would be more suitable for China then than a Republic, quoting
Government Adviser Goodnow as authority and Alika as supporter.
Sept. 1: Shantung, Kiangsu, etc. (8 provinces in all) "petitioned" in favor of
Const it ional Monarchy.
Oct. 8: A set of rules governing the organization and function of the People’s
Representatives for a Referendum was promulgated.
Oct. 2d: Japan, Great Britain and Russia advised the Chinese Government to defer
considering a change of government.
Dec. 11: Chan-cheng-yuan (or Political Council of 73 members appointed by the
President since May 26, 191^, which was empowered by the President on June 29,
191^> as the Nation’s Legislative body) counted the votes turned in by People’s
Representatives and reported to the President that the people favored a change
of Government from Republic to Monarchy, and Yuan was elected the Emperor.
Dec. 12: Yuan announced his acceptance.
Dec. 1^: Japan, Great Britain, Russia, France and Italy again advised China to
defer change of government.
Dec. 25: Having delivered to Yuan an ultimatum and been ignored, Gen. Tsai & Gen.
Tang of Yunnan declared Independence, which was followed by other provinces.
Dec. 31: 'Decreed that 1916 was to be the First Year of Hung Hsien, (translated
by Mr. Rankin as the "Great Constitutional Era".)
1916
March 20: At a special meeting of the Cabinet and other high officials, Yuan
decided to renounce Monarchy in favor of Republic, but the decision was with­
held because his son gave the warning that once giving up Enperorship, Yuan
might not be allowed to resume Presidency.
March 22: Yuan revoked Monarchy.
March 23: IMe name of Yuan's reign, Rung Hsien, was withdrawn.
June 6: Yuan Shih-kai died.
The second Coup d’Etat took place in 1917, when General Chang Haun fool­
hardily restored the young Bnperor Hsuan Tung to the throne for twelve days. A
very interesting fact was July 1st, 1917, when the restoration took place, was
changed by an "Imperial Decree" to be the 13th Day, 5th Moon, 9th Year of Hsuan
Tung, reckoned from the Lunar system and disregarding the intervening years of
the Republic. Philatelically, this was also recorded in the daters of Peking
post offices only. (Fig. 5) A collector friend has in his collection a post card
of one cent, with an additional half cent stamp affixed thereon, mailed from
Peking on the 9th Year, 5th Moon, 19th Day (shown clearly in three different
’’The year shown on the dater is also uncertain.
It might he either % or A-.
It is hardly Likely to be x , as before the end of the first year of the Repub­
lic no stamps of this design had been, printed. Only stamps of the old Imperial
design, overprinted or not, were in use then.”
While due respect must be accorded to the official denial, it is apparent, however,
there was confusion of the issue in the Latter part. This "First Year” under con­
sideration is alleged to be that of Hung Hsien of 1£16, not that of the Republic
of 1912. .
A more concrete evidence of Hung Hsien. overprint was reported by Dr. Roland,
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig^a
Fig. 4
Figr 5
Fig, 6
Along this line, I have in my collection a short set (overprinted in black,
l/2c*j le, & 2c; in red, 30c* & 50c*: those marked * being used), which was
apparently overprinted by Yunnan, reading S W
or "Yunnan Independence",
since its declaration of Independence on Christmas Day. (Fig. 3) One of these
overprinted stamps, from Sir David Boseuayrs collection is illustrated in Fig. 3a.
I also have a half cent stamp, used, overprinted ft M
. It is regret­
table the name of the Post Office of the dater is not shown von the stamp. (Fig. 4)
In the Chinese Philatelic Society Monthly, Vol. Ill, Nos. 10 & 11, Aug.-Sept.
1931? Mr. M.D. Chow reported to have seen a set of the First Peking print. Junk
Issue, from l/2c to $10, 19 values in all, Postage Due stamps, 8 in all, imper­
forated and ungunmed; overprinted with 41 # # H , in the style of the Republic
London overprint, some in red and some* in black. (Believed to be the same as Fig.
6 to be described as under.)
In the Modem Philatelic Monthly, March. 1948 issue, Mr. Woo Lo-yuan reported
on the Nanking Exhibition, which as we recall was staged by the Chinese General
Post Office, drawing stocks from the archives. Among the starts printed but un­
issued, was a set of the First Peking print, Junk Issue, overprinted with 4’ # ft
B and FR S AS AB, from l/2c to $1, 16 values in all*. A photostatic illustra­
tion was reproduced, from which a sketch is herewith presented. (Fig. 6) Mr. Woo
went on to report to have seen a set without the Sinkiang overprint. If so, it
must be the same as what Mr. Chow reported. Mr, Woo also reported to have Been
at this Exhibition a set of blue Postage Due, Peking print, overprinted with
ft H j same as what Mr. Chow reported.
Besides Dr. Roland’s report, it is sincerely hoped that fellow philatelists
will further elucidate on these overprints and bring forth other interesting
information for this chapter.
1915 UNISSUED Hung Hsien
S^HII #1729385406
1st Peking Print Opt. "Sinkiang" "Specimen",
CRACKED PLATES
By Sir David Eosewav
This note is not an account of the kind of thing that may he found
v.hen the stamp collector is withdrawn. from his stands to carry out his
chores of washing up!
Nor is it a suggestion for a new form of
thematic collecting.
The title refers to the flaws which develop
during the printing of long runs of sheets of stamps when, through, -a
flaw in the metal of the plate or undue pressure9 cracks develop which.
when subsequently filled with ink, register on the sheet of stands as
coarse or fine hair lines of colour.
Their appearance differs from
those caused by a scratch across the plate because the line of colour
caused by the crack tends to feather on the edges and its general run
is irregular, while that caused by the scratch is not feathered and
runs more or leas straight.
Such plate flaws are usually corrected by
the printer directly they are seen but sometimes persist.
This note
deals with their occurrence on Chinese stamps.
Perhaps the best known cracked plate in Chinese philately is* that
which arose in the later stages of the printing of the 1c. value of the
Chinese Imperial Post issue of 1898-1912 end led to retouches of the
upper right-hand corner of two positions on the plate.
An account of
this crack and the retouches is contained in Mr. H.CLMorgan* 3 article
in The China Clipper, vol,l6, p-41, and the re touche 3 are described
and. illustrated on p.66 of Ma’s Catalogue.
The retouches are very
rare on the unsurcharged stanp and I have no records other than of
singles, but they are commoner on the 1c. with the Republican over
prints; large pieces exist showing exactly where the crack ran which
led to the retouches.
Two more plate cracks of this issue are mentioned
in the Clipper. vol.l6, pp.40 and 42.
The cracks to which I would like to draw special attention this
time are those on plates of two values of the Junk issues, the 4c*
scarlet (S£ 276) and the 20c. brown-lake (SC 284) * both of the first
(London) printing of these issues.
The first was described originally, I think, by Mr. Starr in the
Collectors Club Philatelist of October 1929, p.192, in his comments on
a translation of the China portion of the Kohl-Handbuch.
It is also
described in The China Clipper (vol,2, No.3, P-7) ■
It is not commonly
found and for a long time the only specimens 1 had showing this variety
were a block of six, similar to. that described in Mr. Starr* 3 notes,
the crack running horizontally in the space between the three upper and
the three lower stamps.
I also have a used single.
In the Baron von
Tanner sale I found, however, a larger piece with the crack which is
illustrated overleaf.
This is a piece of 1$, five horizontal by three vertical.
The
crack runs from between the third to the first, upper and lower stamps
I put it this way because in the larger piece of 15
in the top rows.
the crack appears to end before the right-hand edge of the third stamq
VARIETIES
TO
LOOK
FOR
Mr. J.P.T. Bebb points out a retouch on the 3 cent “Junk”, London print­
ing (SG 275). The shading lines of the boat have been extensively streng­
thened. This is most obvious T/hero insufficient care has been taken in the
work of retouching and the Lines are overextended. (See sketch below)
SURCHARGE ODDITY
David S. Robertson has found an interesting oddity in a batch
of China which he has recently acquired. It is the 1 Ct. surcharge
on the 30 blue green Peking Junk issued in 1932, Scott No. 311.
The ”Ct.” at the bottom of the surcharge is very indistinct. The
remainder of the surcharge is normal and it is puzzling how the
one part could be faint.
HINA: Mr. James Starr has shown us
a horizontal strip of five of the /2c
black brown of the 1923-24 issue (No. 203
in the Catulogise) -which Licks thr vertical
perforation at the right side of the first
stamp and at both sides of the other stamps
in the row.
Mr. Starr is informed that a block of
fifty, ten rows o( five, of this variety was
foimd. Two rows were so badly damaged
that they were destroyed, leaving forty of
the part perforate stamps for collectors.
C
COLOR VARIETY OF THE 30 CENT REENGRAVED PEKING ISSUE - In a lot of
used stamps of the Second Peking Issue of 1923, we found & copy of the 30
cent (Scott No* Zioj Reaper design) in exactly th© same color as the 20
cent (No. 217), Looking through tho lot further, we found another such
copy and several others representing two other stages between the 20 and 30
cent colors. We are quite sure that tkis is not a changeling, but repre­
sents a marked color variety. My theory is that the ink used in printing
the 30 cent value wus made with tho ink on the 20 cent os a base, to which
was added tho color material to give the violet oast. Apparently, in some
of the later printings, no great care was exercised in preparing the ink,
giving two or three shades markedly different from the common shade and
in one day* s printing so little odor material was added that it brought
forth stamps in the shade of the 20 cent value, I have not seen any
mint stamps in these varied shades.
Eugene Klein has written me that a party whose brother la a
missionary in China offered him several copies of the same stamp, but
overprinted for Szechuan (Mo. 1421) in this same color variety, which the
brother regarded as a very rare color error. Will you please report to
the editor any further information! -L.S.R.
THE REENGRAVED JUNK PLATES. Professor Sheldon also relates that the
third printing of the junk design, known as the reongraved series, in reality
was from the original sot of plates made in Peking for tho first issue, but that
plans woro changod, and tho order sent to London inotead, and that aftor tho
I-ondon printing was used up, the English plates wore reengraved for what we know
as the Poking printing. Subsequently, when the third junk issue occurred, the
old and original plates were dug up and used as the last printing. This, of
course, is unverified information, but Prof. Sheldon states that it ceuao direct
to him from government officials, and ho has reason to boliovo that tho facts
are authentic.
The Oregon - Washington members of the China Unit plan to hold another
meeting this summer, when practically all of the members, even those living at
remote points, can gather in Seattle for another session. - J. Robert Hughes.
1c. London Junk; Hooked *1”
by H.G.Morgan
I have what I take to bo Mr Hock’s hooked "1” on Plate 9, Pane 2,
Stem^j 8, and also on some odd singles (see Journal, September 1957. p.
21 ) .
I think it will be senni—constant on worn plates, and probably
occurs at a lot of other places in the sheet.
It seema to be one of the
cases, which occur on both the Waterlow Dragons and Junks, where the
metal in the parts which should print black has not been routed out
evenly, so that on worn plates or with defective inking it does not hold
the ink properly.
Traces of a hook to the *1" occur on a fairly high
This, by the way, was I think the reason
propo rtion of 1 c
for the value panels of the Jc and 7c Dragons being cross-hatched to
make then print more evenly and prevent the sort of thing that happened
with the Chinese 2 on the 2c. red Dr^on.
’’Junk” Overprint Varieties
From Dr. Chung-wai Tangt
’’Here arc a couple of overprint varieties
Both are the 1c. provisional surcharge on 3c. Junk (2nd Peking issue)
One variety is the hollov ”1” - a white space in the numeral due to
an interesting inking error. The other variety is a major one I
have not seen reported before.
It has the two left characters cut
off on tho left side. This error occurs in every stamp of the first
column on many sheets, but not all.
I have not figured out how this
occurred.
Its abundance should be less than 1 in 20.”
(For illustrations see the second photo-plate)
THE 10 CENTS "JUNK” TYPE,
FIRST PEKING PRINT
Nowor members may not bo familiar with the two types of the above stamp
(SG 300) which ore to be found. Mr. G.J. Riddle writing on the subject says
"The 10 cents value of the Junk type, 1st. Poking printing, seems to
exist in two dies. Those differ in the scroll immodiatoly to tho right of
the pearls nt the top. Tie I (if I may call it that) has a largo dot of
colour in tho ball of the scroll. Die II has no not there. All other
values of the issue arc Die I. Tho used copies of tho 10c. which I have
soon suggest that Die I is much- more common.
”Mr. Constantine kindly examined part of his stock and we found both
Dies in separate blocks of four
MISS TNG PERIOD VARIETY OF 1033.
William E. Jon««.
For some tiiue I have been -trying to find if Chine. {Soott No. 278}
1 cent on 4 cent olive (junk design), with mi a sing atop after * Ct", is a
genuine variety.
I have now been able to secure a block of 4, and also
examine a -whole pane, and thus locate the
exact position. Possibly this will be of
interest to other readers.
These
camps were ovorprxncea.
I understand, in panes of 50, the one I saw
being the lower half* of a sheet and numbered
” 2” • There are two stamps with the stop
missing, Nos. 3 and 12, l.e. the third stamp
on the first row and second stamp on the
second row. I have shown my block to Messrs Stanley Gibbons Ltd. (London)
who agree it should now be catalogued.
COMMENT ON NO PERIOD VARIETIES*
The printer of the CLIPPER can
certify that the no—period variety of the lo on 4o olive, described just
above by Mr. Jones, is scarce, for he recently examined some 800 used copies
(from very small towns in Hupeh and Honan provinces) without finding a single
le. Probably the variety does not occur on various other plates used
for overprinting.
It is not intended to call into question tha validity of the variety
described by Mr. Jones; in faot I am an eager seeker after such. It seems
desirable to point out to students of these printing peculiarities that in
general they are not "errors" and may not be plate breaks in the usual sense,
but printing vagaries due especially to poor inking or wear or both.
Collectors of U.S. precanceled stamps are very familiar with no-period varieties as one of the most frequent variations.
In the "Preoanoel Boo”, Oat.
15, 1938, Mh. Wylie describes the printing of precancels for Manhattan, Kans.
Ono sheet had 12 missing periods, but the next, printed from the same plate
on the same press, had none. He comments t "To the non-printer this is a
mystery, but a printer dosn’t think it worth mentioning." Every printer
knows that a gummed sheet of stamps, with rough engraving lines, is just
about the poorest surface on which to print. The group of words, letters,
or characters constituting a single subject of an overprinting plate collec­
tively make a pit in each sheet of paper that is impressed in printing.
The greatest wear ooours about the outer edge of each subject. In the lo
overprint of 1930—33, the parts most likely to be eroded by such contact are
the period and the upper serif on the " 1" • This is because of their relative­
ly exposed positions. After even moderate wear, the period, because of its
small site, makes faulty contact with ink roller or paper, giving a "no stop"
variety that may not occur on the very next sheet. Until the position of
suoh a variety is determined aa constantly recurrent, it is better to treat
these as of minor nature, and hardly worth a high price.
H. H. J.
Tho Chinese Postal Administration, schooled by experience to face the
irregularities of floods and war, still functions on both sides of the war
sone. Railways are disrupted and they institute a truck servicej roads are
washed out and a mule service takes its place; and in certain areas a courier
service crosses back and forth through th© fighting lines.
(Taken from a
missionary’s letter).
THE ONE-HALF CENT STAMP, IMPERFORATE VERTICALLY
C
W. Luh, Ph.D.
The one-half cent etcunp of the Peking Ro engraved Issue of 1923-’ 24
(Scott No. 2O3a) appeared on the Peiping market In 1930, but the real date of
its discovery must be about 1926 or even earlier, as some blocks of it are
known -which were cancelled to order with postmarks bearing
le date of the
15th year of the Republic (1926). The place of the poetm.
is Sin An,
near Peiping* The original possessor of these etompe, who will not reveal
his name, Is said to have been formerly employed in the poetoffioo at Sin An<
After obtaining these stamps* he held them in secret for a period of about
five years before he put them on the market* because he feared the postal
authorities.
Through the instrumentality of some friends, I got in contact with him.
At first* h*» was not willing to show mo the entire stock, but only wanted to
sell a fuw pieces of it* Only after persistent inquiry on my part and not
without some pressure did ho finally reveal to mo tho facts. Ho said thero
was only tho ono comploto shoot of 200 stamps. Tho plate number of this sheet
was No« 100. As thoro wore only four plato numbers to tho sheet, two in the
top and two in tho bottom sheet margin* pairs or strips bearing this plato
number are exceptionally fine property.
Fig. 1
Solid linos indicate
separation* oxaopt
loft and right shoet
margins*
........ ) Indicate
perforations*
Vertical lines of
fine dots ( | )
indicate separate
stamps.
f indicates location of plato number
Of those 200 stamps* 52* had already been sold in small blocks or strip
By offering a rather high price* I wets able to buy the entire remainder of the
sheet* The sheet had already been divided into several smaller blocks.
Because of this separation* the longest possible strip was of 11 staups. Three
of these blocks had. been cancelled to order; the remainder were in mint oon-’
dition* I show herewith a diagram of the division of the sheet and its
disposition* (Also see Editorial Note at the bottom of page 29).
Stanp s sold by the original owner. It Is impossible to ascertain how
this large block was divided* but it was separated into small strips
and blocks*
N* Sold to North China Stanp Co* Separated into pairs and strips; resold*
N2 • Cancelled to order at Sin An in 1926. Sold to North China Stanp Co*
C. Sold to M. D. Chow* I have not been informed whether Mr. Chow retained
all these blocks for his collection or whether he disposed, of part.
C2. Cancelled to order at Sin An in 1926. Sold to M. D. Chow.
X.
LR. Material which has been sold, directly, or through Dr. Ruland. This in­
cludes material in our two collections* The stamps sold were mostly in
the form of pairs or short strips*
LR2. Cancelled to order at Peiping in 1930*
whereas in the piece of six it runs on as a very fine hair line of
colour beyond, the right-hand edge of the same stamp.
The intriguing
feature of the larger piece is that the crack crosses the gutter
margin strongly to the left of the first starp in the piece.
1 have
not seen, or heard of a record of, the progress of the crack beyond
the gutter margin.
This larger piece does not give any clue as to the
position of the crack in the complete sheet but in the H.B.R.Clarke
collection there was a piece of 1o with part of the crack running
between the first and third stamps of the third and fourth rows.
Superimposing this position on my piece of 15, the position of the
crack is shown to be between the third and fourth rows of a pane of 25
(5 x 5) with a gutter margin on each side, the crack running between
positions 11-14 and 16-18.
I have not been able to wrk out the
position of the pane nor have I ary hint of the number of the plate on
which the crack occurred..
The crack, that is on the 20c., is one which I have not seen
recorded before.
There were a few specimens of it (pairs) in the
accumilation of Junk issues in the Die reking collection and one pane of
Curiously enough, since first writing this article, I have
seen a pair offered in the J.R.Hughes Auction of April 1957•
Other
than the pane the specimens in the Die raking collection were horizontal
pairs and one pair is illustrated opposite.
This shows a very pronounced crack running down the left edge of
the right-hand stamp of the pair and passing on below the inter-pane
margin below; there is a fine crack forking off at the beginning of
the margin and running up into the inner frame line, fading out below
the "A” of "POSTAGE" ♦
In the pane the crack starts in the margin at
the corner of stamp 20.
There is distortion of "Cts" in stands 20
and 25, particularly that of stamp 20.
There is nothing in the pane
to show the plate number but as the upper and right margins are imperf­
orate the pane is No .4 (4x2).
I shall be interested to know whether any reader of this note can
add to the incomplete data I have given for these two cracke 'in the
Junk issues.
In The China Clipper reierence to the 4<3* crack (vol.2, No.}, p.7)
there is mention of a crack in the #10 of the London printing.
This
an uncommon
and in the few specimens I have been able to examine
I have not found this variety.
I have wondered sometimes whether it
was a scratch, not a crack.
One further crack in the London Junk issues should be mentioned,
occurring on the^-c, value.
It is a short fine crack running inwards
from the outer upper margin of the sheet for a distance of 6.5 mm, and
diameter.
The circle may represent the
ending in a circle of 1.5
effect of punching the metal to stop the crack running on.
The
position is in the margin above star^ 5, but the pane or plate numbers
are not known.
iiih
To end this note I would like to refer to another well-known and
• lie]
that found on the vignette of
the ^2 and #5, and possibly the
- although I have not seen it in
this latter value - of the Second Sun fat-sen issue printed by De La
Rue (SG 372-374- II) •
This crack is variously described as a gash, or
Here the position
a Heidelberg sabre cut, on Dr. Sun’s right check.
of the stamp with the cracked vignette and the number of the plate are
known: see The China Clipper, vol.15, p.68.
Chia Hsu Philatelic Society Pictorisl Postcards
Four cards of unusual philatelic interest have recently been, found,
"by Mr, Richard Townsend.
They are postcards (about 14^ x 10 err.) illus­
trating sets of Chinese postage stamps in full colour.
The reverse of
the cards shows them to have been produced by "The Chia Hsu (1 934)
Philatelic Society, Chenghsien, Honan, China".
The details are:
Inscription (in
Eng], i sh & Chi ne se)
1.
2,
3.
4,
Colour of
inscription
1911, "Chinese
Blue
Imperial Post" Stands
surcharged for use in Tibet,
1915> Chinese General
Blue
Starps of Peking Print
Overprinted "Sinkiang".
1921, Chinese Air Post
Black:
Stamps First Issue Chinese Air Post Stamps
)
3rd Issue.
Five Values )
issued in 1932.
; Blue
/At foot/ Three New Values)
added in 1 933 *
)
Stamps
Inscription, on
i 1lustrat c d reverse
Chinese P.O.?
in Tibet,
SG 1 - 11.
Sinkiang,
SG 1 - 16.
In
purple
313 - 317.
In
orange
SG 387 - 391.
In
bronze­
green
sg
In
purple
SG 387a, 389a,
391a.
THE NEW PART III ,
Review of Stanlev Gibbens Catalogue 195$
This is a good edition of Gibbons from the point of view of Far
East specialists: the bulk of revisions have taken place in the lists
of those areas, and members of this Society have played a prominent
part in. this work.
A particularly useful feature of the CHINA listing
is that the Communist reprints are clearly distinguished, where possible,
and great credit is due to the Society for being the sole source of
information on this matter.
The general press has had nothing to say,
which is very disturbing, since cancelled-to-order reprints are now on
the market at high prices and have probably deceived some collectors
hitherto*
Gibbons now do not stock the sets where it is difficult to
distinguish reprint from original.
The 1897 Imperial Chinese Post
Issue, given attention by the Study Group some time ago, now appears
as typo, instead of litho.
We knew of Mr .Livingston's contention on
this some time ago and have hopefully awsited his published findings.
Until this happens we cannot veiy well comment on this important change •
Two major improvements in the Catalogue are new lists of NORTH
KCESA and MONGOLIA, the work of members of this Society,
BHUTAN, on
which we were first with the news, now enters Part III with a- tiny
list of four.
J.N.
London “Junk” 4 ct, Plate Crack (Vol* 26, pages 80 and 81)
Paul P* Hock wri-test
r,I read with great interest the note on
crack in the plate of the
4 cts. London Junk, and X also have a photo of the block of 10
illustrated* In addition I have a block of six mint, which shows the
printing as the
right part of the illustrated one, but
crack travels on to the right* A large block of 24 with top selvege,
inscription and plate No* 1 does not show the crack or any of the
scratches mentioned and these are probably from later printings*
I have blocks of 50 of the second Peking 4 cents in grey and olive
and these show no scratches or cracks*”
II»
Edited by
Wg. Cdr* P*I. Padget, ’The Firs”, Sparrow Hill Way, Weare,
Axbridge, Somerset* BS2b 2LA
Secretaryi
Treasurer*
E*N* Lane,
"Kingsland1*,
Westwell,
Ashford* Kent.
No. 201
Vol. 26
L.R.F. Prescott.
232 Long Lane.
Bexleyheath*
Rent.
No. 4
April
1979
(c)The China Philatelic Society of London and Authors* Copyright 1979
THE LONDON "JUNKS”
4 CENTS
by E.N* Lane
In their recent display to our Society, the Beckenxans showed a block
of four from the left of the gutter, and a block of six from the
right of the gutter, showing the full extent of the plate crack,
first reported in the Journal (Vol* 3, pages 27-29), including a
photograph of a block of 5 x 3 from the right hand pane* showing the
crack as far as the gutter at its left.
This first report by Sir David Roseway gave the position of the
crack as between the third and fourth rows of a pane 5 x 5, with a
gutter on either side* In the Journal (Vol* 5, page 72), another
member submitted a block of 5 x 2 including the gutter margin
between the second and third stamps horizontally, thus showing the
entire length of the crack.
The BecKernans had not only acquxreo me mint state of this
crack, but had diligently searched amongst used copies and had
secured five examples* Thus spurred on I checked ny own duplicates
and in the first half dozen found a fine example of the plate crack*
Later I discovered two more with small traces of the crack, and
these are numbers 1 and 4 counting from the left of the block of
5 v 2 affected*
However, when I came to compare the first stamp found, the crack
did not correspond with any of the five positions of tne plate crack
already reported. It Ilea very slightly higher, running In a horiz­
ontal, wriggling manner between the loner and outer frame lines and
it emerges below the stem of the
at the left, having entered on
the opposite side with an upward loop between the perforations and
the outer frame line, which it enters along the bottom from the right
(A) This loop on the right does not appear in any of the five stamps
affected along their bottom by the crack. It thus looks to me as if
the crack may have gone further across the sheet.
I also found several copies with a small vertical line project­
ing at a slight angle from the bottom frame of the stamp and rising
from the bottom left corner by the "4” (B) while others had a
fainter line a fraction further from the stamp in a similar position.
(G). I should think they are printer’s guide lines.
The other discovery was a plate scratch consisting of a vertical
line of colour down the stem of the "4", ending in a blob Just below
the bottom frame line. As I found two copies, the scratch must be a
constant variety, once it had occurred. One copy is dated 21. May.
1915* (D)
(Motet
The Backemans have read the shove and suggest that the new
piece of crack (A) must come from the next position to the
left in ths top row. They also report a stamp from the next position
at top right showing the crack extending even further.)
JCP.Vol.26.AprH 1979
FTHTEER PROGRESS of the crack across the gutter of the 4c. Junk - see
Journal No,72, p.2?<
(Submitted by a member,)
March 1958
2, London Junks, 4/ scarlet# Plate crack touching
five stamps# Although the author has seen only one
position of this crack, the entire item is described
by Mr# Starr in the Collector’s Club Philatelist
(Oct# 1929, p# 192), and a block shewing all positions
was offered in the Finegan sale (lot 692)# The plate
number and orack positions not known# Since five
stamps show the crack, each position, is indicated
separately, as 2A to 2F (illustrated. Fig# 2).
3# London Junks, $10.00 green, and black. Marked crack
or scratch on border plate# Thia crack has been seen
on only one stamp, but undoubtedly runs through
adjacent positions* Plate number and positions
are not known.
Plate Crack on the 4c London Junk
by E.N.Lane
Having been laid up for several weeks sone time ago, I began reading the back numbei
of the Journal. Unfortunately I hadn't a secretary present to note the many items oi
interest which suggested further research. However, a few things have stuck in my
mind and I have re-leamt a very great deal!
In Vol.26 No.4 of April 1979, pages 80 and 81, the plate crack in the 4c London Junl
was illustrated once more, this time in a block of 5 x 2, showing four stamps West
of the gutter and six to the East , with the crack running horizontally between the
Uo rows of stamps.
I have now discovered the first reference to this plate crack and an illustration ol
it running in a similar position in a block of 5 x 3, showing gutters at each side
of the block, which is the only illustration of the East border gutter. It is not
the border of the sheet, however, as the gutter is perforated on both sides.
This block was illustrated in the Journal Vol.5 No.2, Sept. 1957. and came from the
sale of the Baron von Tanner collection where, Ln the words of Sir David Roseway,
’the crack appears to end before the right-hand edge of the third stamp1 (i.e. it
failed to reach the East gutter by two stamps).
Sir David’s own block of 3 x 2 with the plate crack running horizontally between th<
two lines of stamps, was the same as that described originally by Starr in the
Collectors Club Philatelist (October 1929, page 192) and referred to in Volume 2,
No.3 page 7 of the China Clipper. In Sir David’s block the plate crack rdh on to
the East of the block (as shown in the margin).
A block showing all (3) positions was offered as Lot 692 in the Finegan sale. The
Clipper referred to a plate crack touching FIVE stamps but this is misleading as th<
drawing showed the block to be 3 x 2 only. The five stamps touched must therefore
have been three above the crack and two below, as is usual.
This Is the first time we have seen the East gutter and the fact that the crack
failed to reach it by two stamps, and the state of the crack is identical with that
in. the block shown by Mr- & Mrs.Beckeman to our Society. The block illustrated in
Vo1.26 No*4 of the Journal, does not (in the photo) show the loop of the crack
wider the third stamp to the East of the Gutter.
My block of the plate crack is of 5 x 3 with’the crack along the base of the block,
entering (from the position of the West gutter) slightly downwards across the margin
passing through the base frameline of the first stamp, dipping in a loop across the
two margins and re-entering the second stamp’s lower frameline below the dots of
*Cts* looping out again below the ’C’, running back into the frameline to reappear
in the margin as a loop under the ’st’ of ’postage*. THERE IS NO SIGN OF IT ON THE
NEXT THREE STAMPS TO THE EAST. In any case the crack is identical with that on the
East of the gutter in the Journal illustration of April 1979.
My new discovery (illustration A of the April Journal) cannot be located as a
continuation of the crack, in either direction, as we now have, between my block and
the von Tanner photograph, the entire range across the two adjacent panes, showing
that the plate crack only ran from the third stamp to the East of the gutter and to
the second stamp on the West.
Either there was an extension of the crack in this plate or another crack elsewhere.
To simplify future reports may I suggest that the cracked plate positions be numbe­
red from left to right Nos.1,2 (then the gutter),3,4»5. We then have photos of 1,2,
3,4 and 5
the April Journal and a clear sketch of my new crack. The von Tanner
block showed (photo) Nos-3,4 and 5. The Beckemans have Nos.2,3,4 and 5. I have Nos.
1 and 2 in a block and Nos.l and 4 as singles.
Sir David however, said that in his block of six the crack runs on as a very fine
hairline of colour beyond the right hand edge of the third stamp (where it had
stopped in the von Tanner block). In the August Journal Vol.26 No.6 Page 134, Paul
P.Hock confirmed he had a block of 6 mint, which shows the right part.
THE
Were
20 cent
HE APE R
there
three
LONDON
value—tablet
PRINTING
dies?
By G.E.Wilson
It is a well-known fact that the Waterlow ‘’Dragons” in the early
printings show numerous tool markings around the value die.
It seema
reasonable therefore to assume that the London printing of the "Junk
and Reaper” issues should also show signs of tool markings, but on
looking through a quantity of copies in my possession I can only find
traces of too] markings on the 20 cent value.
It would appear that there were three different dies used on the
20 cent value as may be seen from the accompanying illustrations.
All tho tool markings appear in the colour surrounding the value
in Chinesej the colour in the value in English appears solid in all
cases.
Fig 1 shows the tool markings running
mainly horizontally except in small
areas around the vertical parts of
the Chinese characters.
Fig 2 shows again horizontal markings
but with the addition of vertical
markings, giving an effect of cross
hatch; the tool markings follow more
closely the direction of the Chinese
characters, the exception being on
the extreme right of the right-hand
Chinese character, where the tool
markings are horizontal instead of
vortical.
Fig 3 The tool markings are basic­
ally diagonal running in both direct­
ions but not crossing each other and
therefore not giving any effect of
cross hatch.
Unfortunately I have not b3en able
to examine complete panes, but I
have blocks of 4 of both Fig. 1 and
Fig. 2 which do not show any differ­
ences in individual stamps. Fig.3
I have in a strip of 3, again without
any differences in the individual
stamps.
The majority of single stamps that T
have in my possession I have been
able to classify into one of the 3
types and of the 64 identifiable
stamps that I have, 24 are of Fig.l,
19 arc of Fig.2, and 21 are of Fig.3, which seems to indicate that
there is little difference in the scarcity value of any of the 3 types.
News Clipping , origin unknown ,possibly a StolloF From China Clipper Archives
FORGERIES
CONFIDENTIAL
Durring recent months , a Fantastic number oF hitherto unkmown and unrecorded
varieties oF Chinese Stamps haue appeared on the marked From Australia. These
unknown varieties include many imporForate-between pairs and strips ranging From
the Dowager Jubile period to the pre-war, period, including stamps overprinted For
use in Tibet, Sinkiang, Kerin, Yunnan and Szechuan, with special strength among
imperForate-between Junk Issues
Un-over printerd and overprinted. They have also
appeared with the unknowns a number oF known overprinted stamps such ar, the $1
Shanghai Republic overprint inverted (S G # ,225a 2c). Shanghai
Comercial Republican
overprint inverted (S G 8229c), Sinkiang $1 With trans posed characters oF 1915 (S G # 16a),
and so on.
Examination oF some oF this nitatial
which has
now reached this country
indicates that most iF not all oF the previously unknown stamps and many oF the rare over­
printed stamps contained in the material examined are Forged varying degrees oF cleverness
The same sorts oF oFFer are being made oF wartime and post-war issues. Thee include
imperForate-between
Airmail and other stamps oF China proper, and oF Sinkiang, and double
and Inverted overprints, pairs with one stamp missing overprint, and so on oF the C. N. C.,
Revelution and
North China,
Gold Yuan periods,
Japanese Occupation oF Shanghai amd Kwantung and
Six Province issues and various other ware-time overprints, etc., etc.
Sinkiang ware-time overprints are especially prominent in this Field in all maner oF varieties.
Here again a very large part oF the material which has been seen is Forged. It is oFten signed
on the back with guarantee chops oF Chinese dealers -.whether these also are Forged or not
is not known,
The Comittee oF the Society thereFore suggest that members should exercise great care in
purchasing any oF this type oF material particularly as it may be oFFered in conjunction wath or
amongst other Chinese stamps Including
known rarities or varieties which are not in question.
Once They are on the lookout collectors should not haue much diFFiculty
aFter examination in detecting the ForgedF material and this warning is circulated to sound the alert.
D. R. 15.11.57
COL,UECTORS
CE V E
EE1EA.TEEIST
The Counterfeit One D oil ar 1914Peking Print of China
By H. F. Bowker.
XYTHHjE I have known of the counterfeiting of the 10 cent, 50 cent and
$1.00 values of the first Peking print., 1914 issue of China for several
▼ ▼
years and have carefully examined all copies of that printing1 of Scott’s
numbers 185, 190 and 191 that I have seen, in the hope of finding these scarce
forgeries, my diligence was never rewarded until recently when I have come
onto a single post ally used copy of the latter value.
These counterfeits are reputed, to have been used by postal clerks employed
in the Shanghai post office. The modus operands being to place the stamps on
letters, or parcels presented for mailing. The stamps were then, cancelled immediately with a hand cancelling stamp and the proceeds pocketed. By this method
none of the forgeries got out of the hands of the passers except in a cancelled
state, in which shape they were not likely to excite the interest of anyone who
might interfere with the operation of their scheme.
The present copy shows a part of the usual circular Shanghai postmark
with the entire Chinese character ‘ * Shang ’ ’ on the stamp. It is perforated 15
while the genuine stamps are perforated 14 or 14t^ despite Sco-tt’s listing given
as 14 or 15. As is usual with forgeries, the present one differs materially from
the genuine stamps in many details, the most noticeable of which are given below.
Genuine.
The curved labels at top and bottom
are bounded by a hairline at center
where they are superimposed upon
the
upper
and
lower
marginal
frames.
This line does not touch
the outer Une of border
(b) The Chineae character at NW la
clearly drawn.
(a)
(c)
The four ornamental
scrolls sur­
rounding the center medallion are
sharply drawn and each line or dot
composing the scroll Is distinct and
separate from every other dot or
(d)
The Chinese character at NE has
equally wide bunds of color separat­
ing the three sections
All lettering in Knglish in the lower
label
is carefully and
accurately
drawn.
(f) The -’O’' of "POSTAGE” Is similar
to that in "OF”.
(g) The
wall
surrounding
tbe
three
d.QQ,rs Qf tbe temple is covered with
dots.
(e)
Forgery.
(a)
The curved labels are bounded at
top
and
bottom
by
coarse lines
which touch the outer line of border
at the bottom.
(b)
The outer frame of this character
Is more narrow than in the genuine
and that part of the character inside
the outer frame Is very indistinct
and poorly drawn.
The scrolls are poorly drawn, the
tines and dots composing them be­
ing coarse and scraggly.
(c)
(d)
This character is much smaller than
that in the genuine and the strip of
color between the 1st and 2d sec­
tions is wider than that between the
2d and 3d.
The top of letter "E” of "REPUB­
LIC” Is higher than the tops of the
other letters.
(f> The “O" of "POSTAGE" is narrow­
er than that In ‘'OF".
(g) There are no dots in the lighter
part of the walls about the doors.
(e>
Faked Overprints
SINKIANG
The SinKiang overprints on Junks are not as well inked as the
originals. They also are very blurry. The third character down on
the fakes is one solid clump. On the originals the character has one
small stroke on the left side not joined. The ink on the dollar values
is very transparent.
The horizontal fake overprints on the Sinkiang issues are the
poorest of the fakes. The fakes are much smaller than the originals.
The characters are ill defined and difficult to read.
MANCHURIA
The Manchurian overprints are basically well done. The best method
of detection is the second character from the right. On the fakes the
top of the character looks more like four separate strokes -I— . On
the original the strokes are solid —A—
SZECHWAN
The Szechwan overprints are also well executed. The main differences
are that th* fakes tend not to be as evenly lined. The characters are
thicker and the characters are not clearly drawn.
YUNNAN
The fake surcharges are not evenly lined up.
in texture and the characters are not well drawn.
The ink is thinne
1913 Issue
Genuine
Postal Forqery
The genuine is engraved and perforated 14-15.
Postal Forgery:
Engraved-perforated 14 1/4 or imperforate.
Outer frame line varies in thickness.
The left foot touches the shadow beneath it.
There are many tiny Hecks of color scattered over the
forgery.
Genuine
Postal Forgery
The genuine is engraved and perforated 14-15.
The train on the bridge of the genuine is composed of
thinly spaced horizontal lines.
Postal Forgery:
Lithographed-perforated 12 1/2.
The overall appearance is very crude.
The train on the bridge has three distinct mound shaped
cars with an -indistinct locomotive in the background.
1913 Issue
Postal Forgery
A prominent Chinese collector from Shanghai described
its history as:
"The 10 cent Junk forgery was presented to me by a
detective friend of mine who participated in this fraud
case. He told me that only about 200 forged stamps were
found in the forger’s premises. The rest were destroyed
before arrival of the police. Five copies were produced
before the judge who ordered the false stamps to be
destroyed. The five copies were all written on the sur­
face 'void* by the secretary and returned to the police.
The accused said that only about $10.00 worth were sold
at discount under face and were all passed through cne
post on parcels.”
1923 issue-Re-engraved
uenuine
Postal Forgery
The genuine is engraved and perforated 14.
postal Forgery:
Photo-lithographed. Perforated 14 and 15.
The second character in the upper panel touches the
upper curved line.
The loops of the "S" and "G" of POSTAGE are closed.
1923 issue-Re-engraved
uenuine
Postal Forgery
The genuine is engraved and perforated 14.
postal Forgery:
Photo-lithographed. Perforated 14 and 15.
The second character in the upper panel touches the
upper curved line.
The loops of the "S" and "G" of POSTAGE are closed.
1915 POSTAL FORGERIES
For some years I have had in ray collection a sheet of 15 postal
forgeries, imperforate, of the 50c* Reaper design of the Peking Junks
as well as an imperforate pair of the postal forgeries of the 30c.
Reaper.
Lot 251 in the Dr, Warren Kauder sale contained a very intemsting noteon these forgeries, as fallows:
30c,
and 5Oc.
Retained at Shanghai
3Oc.
50c.
Distributed as follows
Forged Stamps.
perf*
perf*
lO0f
90,
imp erf •
impexf.
10O
90
50c.
^Oc
Perf.
Imperf*
Perf.
Imperf.
1)
Philatelic Society
40
40
45
45
2)
Commissioner’ssafe*
20
20
15
15
3) Deputy Commissioner’s
safe 40
40
30
30
10O
1OO
90
90
Totals
In the Lot there was an imperforate sheet of the 30c., 20
stamps arranged 4x5, and both an imperforate and a perforated
sheet of the 5Oc, 15 stamps (3x5) in each*
According to a note in. my collection, the origin ofKwhich I
no longer know, a post office clerk at Shanghai was putting these
postal forgeries on to parcels of silk despatched to Canton in.
1915,
After about 100,000 (?•!!) forged stamps had been used
thus, the police raided the forger and seized a quantity of forged
copies of 30c and 50c*
but the 3Oc were not known to have
been actually used.
Both values were imperforate' when seized,
(this would appear to be inaccurate in view of tha perforated
stamps referred to in the list above).
Those used irere perforated 16 (genuine are perf. 14).
The
forgeries seized were, except for a few "souvenirs H burnt by the
Chinese Customs.
The stamps mentioned in the list quoted above were no doubt
kept for reference, end it would be interesting to know if they
are still retained by the Postal Authorities in Shanghai.
The
numbers quoted match the sheet sizes, so that in fact the Philatelic
Society received IO sheets and the Postal Commissioner and his
Deputy held 12 sheets between them.
E*N.Laae
JC2. Vol. 20. June 1973
The Postal Forgeries of China
by
H.G.L. Fletcher, T.D.
NOTEi
This article originally appeared in The Stamp Lover (Volt 57>
No. 3, May 1965) and is reproduced by permission of ths Editor.
1913-23.
10 cents deep blue
London Print
Engraved. Perf. 13$
Size 20 x 22?am.
Pennant from top- of left mast is
long and- thin, no breaks.
Fringe below oval above is fine
and short.
Left vertical of third character
from the left is hooked top
right.
Peking. 1st. Print.
Engraved. Ferf. 14.
Size 20 x 22mm.
Pennent much shorter and has two
breaks.
Fringe below oval much coarser
and longer.
Left vertical of third character
at top is blunt ended.
1913-30. 30 cents plum.
London Printing1
Peking. 2nd. Print
Engraved. Perf. 14 ragged.
Size 19t 3 22kwm.
Pennant very short indeed.
No fringe
tar below oval,
Left vortical of third character
at top is very ragged, curled
end. Square stops after cents.
Postal Forgery.
Lithographed. Perf. 12$ line.
Size 20 z 22mm.
Long thin pennant with one
break.
Coarse long fringe below eval.
Chinese characters very ragged.
"0" of "10" smaller than "1".
General appearance poor.
Peking Printing
Engraved. Perf. 14.
Size 20 x 22mm.
No White line between top of
Engraved. Perf.. 14i.
left shoe and heel.
Size 20 x 221nnm.
Left foot does not touch ehading
White line between top of left shoe
lines of ground below.
and heel.
Lower outer fine line of scythe
Toe and heel of left foot touch
curls in and ends in blunt
shading lines of ground below.
point.
Lowsr outer fine line of scythe
Outer frame thinner, varies in
ends in Sh<trr point clear of
places.
ground.
Outer frame same thickness all
the way round.
Postal Forgery
Engraved, Imperf. and perf. 14i ragged. Size 2OJ- z 22mm.
No white line ’between top of left shoe and heel.
Left foot touches shading lines of ground ‘below.
Lower outer fine line of scythe slopes away and point sticks into
ground•
Outer frame thinner, irregular in many places,
Whole design disfigured by scattered dots, ”SM of ”Cts.” has open
loops.
1913.
5Q cents,. green
London Printing
Engraved, Perf. 144*
Size 20 z 224mm,
Faint white line between top of
left shoe and heel.
Toe and heel of left foot touch
shading lines of ground below.
Lower outer fine line of scythe
ends in a sherp point cleer
of ground.
Outer frame the same thickness
all the way round.
Peking Printing
Engraved. Perf. 14*
Size 20 x 22mm.
No white line between top of let
shoe and heel.
Left foot does not touch shading
lines of ground halow.
Lower outer fine line of scythe
curls in and ends in a blunt
point.
Outer frame thinner, varies in
places.
Postal Forgery
Engraved, Perf. rough 14i and imperf, Size 20 x 22njm.
No white line in left shoe.
Left foot far from shading lines of ground below.
Lower outer frame lino of scythe parallel, sticks into grou
Whole design disfigured by scattered dots.
1912-19* 1 Dollar black and orange. (SG 287 and 306)
Faking Printing
London Printing
Sngraved. Barf. 14 ragged.
Engraved• Perf, 14 cleanSias
19 x 22™.
Size 19k x 22-Jtnm.
In top left character, top and
In top loft character, top and
right strokes are not straight.
right aide strokes are
straight and even.
Below central roof arrow lines are
Below central roof arrow lines
not Complete.
are complete.
Boz below ia oval.
Box below is rectangular.
Postal Forgery
Photo—lithograph with design accurate. Parf. 15k and 12^<
Size 19 x 215m!n.
Top left character has uneven edges.
Arrow lines oval on left, missing on right.
Box below is oval on left, square on right.
Second central character touches the top.
In "Postage", "5" and "G" have closed loops.
1912.
4 cents red?
overprint "Bepublic of China" in black
(SG 217), Engraved, Various perfs, 12-16.
Postal Forgery
Photo-lithograph on much thinner wove paper,
Ragged perf. 14 x 13. Size 20 x 23^mm, same as genuine.
Design accurate, but obviously a lithograph. This is noticeable in
the central dragon designs very blurred and indistinct. Net-like
background very poor when compared with the genuine.
Central ornament at top not as sharp nor as well defined as the
genuine.
l/o 4
ZF
J
EXPERIMENTAL PRINTING OF 1926 JUNK ISSUE
P
Bob Partegas
The Chinese Bureau of Engraving at Peking printed an unknown quantity of the
IC and 4C stamps on German watermarked paper.
These two stamps are Scott 249
and 275. See note after Scott 269, with states "Numbers 249 and 275 exist with
webbing watermark from experimental printing*
In researching this set, I was able to find one article concerning the
experimental printing. This article by Carl A. Kilgas appeared in the Clipper
of January 1975, Volume 39, page 50. Mr. Kilgas states that when supplies of
paper ran out for the 2nd Peking printing, a new source was sought. It is thought
that in 1926 a German firm submitted samples of paper to be used. The printing
on this paper lost out to another paper supplier, and so this was not used in the
printing of the regular issue. In my research I have found the set listed in
the following auctions or sales.
December 2, 1990.
Michael Rogers Auction #17, lot 210 ECV $1,000
July 25, 1990, Mandarin Trading Company Auction #3, Lot 101 ECV $1,000
December, 1983, listed in Asian Philately #110, offered for $600
February 8-9, 1979, George Alevizos Auction #16, lot 1260 ECV $125
(Sold for $296.00)
Has anyone read any other articles or have any other information concerning
this set of stamps? This set of stamps seems to have little known about it and
appears to be very RARE. It would be interesting to see how many copies exist.
Please contact me if you own one, or can supply any information:
FOLLOW-UP ON EXPERIMENTAL PRINTING OF 1926 JUNK ISSUE
___
Bob Partegas
P
Since my article appeared in The China Clipper, March 1991, Vol 55, Nbr
3. I have had only one reply to my inquiry. To date I am aware of only seven
sets. These two stamps are Scott 249 and 275 on watermarked paper. See note
after Scott 269.
Can anyone else shed any light on this set? The set I speak of is
printed on experimental paper bought from a German firm.
This set is now listed in the Chan catalog, the numbers 250E, 1 cent
ocher and 255E, 4 cent olive green, with the value of $3,500 each.
How many copies exist? Please contact me if you own a set or can supply
any information on this very rare stamp.
Bob Partegas
P. O. Box 585069
Dallas, Texas 75258
1926 Experimental Printing of the Junk Issue on
Watermarked paper by Carl A Kilgas
John Bull sale#304 10-07
REL HK$30,000
The 2nd Peking "Junk, Reaper, Hall of Classics"
issue appeared in 1923 printed on unwatermarked thin
paper of French production, .06 to ,07 in thick­
ness. When it was necessary to replenish the supply
of paper in 1926 a fin in Germany submitted samples
of a similarly thin paper but of a softer weave with
a rather erratic wavy honeycomb type watermark cov­
ering the entire stamp,
The Chinese Bureau of Engraving at Peking used
this sample paper to prepare a printing of the then
current 1c and 4c stamps. While the coloring was
lllll
good the soft wove paper allowed the color to penetrate to the back of the stamp
in spots.
Shortly after the experimental printings were made, as values required re­
printing, they began to appear on a thicker paper "made in Canada", .08 to .10 mm
thick. While all values except the 1 l/2c were printed on thin paper, not all
values have been found on the thicker paper, notably the $10.
The story concerning these experimental stamps is practically unknown.
While we know that they exist, the quantities printed were very small and the
name of the firm in Germany submitting the samples of paper remains a mystery.
Any information any one can give will be very much appreciated.
Auctions
Zurick Asia sale # 11 18 mar 06 Unused 1& 4 c Rei HK$45,000
#15 Nov 07 1c Rei HK$13,800(Beckman col.)
see MR sales: #37 lots 32,38,78,
#38 lot 1026
#78 lots 238, 239
Kwangsi & Kweichow Overprints
Kwangsi & Kweichow Overprints
by G. P. King
It is veil known that the provinces of
Sinkiang, Szechwan, Yunnan and Kirin & Hei­
lungkiang issued stamps overprinted with
characters meaning "Only for use in • • •
the purpose of which was to prevent people
from sending stamps to other provinces
where the currency was not on a par with
the others.
It is not generally known, however, that
two other provinces issued similar over­
printed stamps. These were Kwangsi and
Kweichow, and the overprints are simply the
characters for the province ( fetfor Kwang*
si and
for Kweichow)
in red on the
dollar values of the second Peking Junk set.
Both issues are shrouded in mystery and
only odd references can be fcund about them.
In the China Clipper, Vol.XII, Nos.4/5
(August 1948) the sets were described by
C. Chen as being part of a display by the
Post Office at the May, 1948 Shanghai Stamp
Exhibition. It will be noted that they
were not in the section for unissued stamps.
An editorial note in the same issue men­
tioned that Gen. Chiang had presented a
complete set of the Kweichow and three
values of the Kwangsi overprints to Mr.
Roosevelt, and that an American collector
owned a specimen of the Kwangsi tl value.
It is interesting to note now that both
sets are illustrated and catalogued in the
official Stamp Catalogue of China, published
in 1956 by the Director-General of Posts,
Taipeh, Formosa. Thus the existence of the
sets is officially acknowledged and their
bona fides as postage stamps are proved.
No doubt very few exist, but what actually
is the status of these stamps?
From PRC 1980 cataloge
AHKR.l
a. Hall ot classics'aTl“
Stamp opt. 'Limited tor
uso in Ki-Hei'.
S1.S2, $5. $10,520.
®E • MM ■ OiK •
150 •
ABKR.lt (51
ABKC.l
a. Hall of Classics EHS
Stamp opt. 'Kien', S2.
— 800.0
— 800.0
ABKC.l a (1)
- 200.0
— 200.0
2. H?gp Pichieh
SM ■ Hasos
No frame, opt. in red
- 800.0
- 800.0
ABKW.I
a. Hall of Classics
Stamp opt. 'Kwei', $1. $2.
SMEiCK'tt'T ■
• MM
ABKW.I a (2)
H, F^Pfft SHENSI PROVINCE
— 1,500.
— 1,500.
1.
Kingyang
No frame, opt. in violet
1. ScJSAnshun
B1K ■ SlftioH
No frame, opt. in red
-h
Small ‘linrixW
£
twit churiieteis
ABSH.l
a. Hall of Classics EPW
$1, $2. $5, $10. 520.
W • SIE ■ ftH
is "Sia
60S
— 200.0
Some striking examples from the Beckman collection sold by Zurich Asia
auction #15 Nov 1 2007
lot 271
lot 296
HK$32,500
lot 341
HK$32,200
HK$264,500
(From DOS notes 1991)
SECOND PEKING or THIRD PRINTING
Relative scarcity $20, $10, $5, $1, 50, 13, 4c GRAY, 30, 16, 20, 15, 10, 8, 7
6, 5, 4 OLIUE GRN, 1 1/2, 2, 1, 1/2c.
RARITY 1c +4c oliue grn exist on german web watermarked paper. This was an
experament in1926. see cc vol 57,3 p108.
A pair each of the 1c and 4c web wmkd were offered in MR sale #38 lot
1026 (special supliment to cat.) ECU was $5000.00
The actual realization was,
6c printed in 2 colors brown and scarlet both on thick paper.
PAPER *JCP Uol 20 June 73 p 87 * cc vol 40,5 p147-52.
early cream color london, rare
early french, thin hard
later Canadian, thick, rough seperations (whiskers)
The 1924 set overprinted for use in Sinking is on thin paper, london.
The 1926-36 Singking are on thick Canadian paper exept the $5 and some copies
of the 3c wich are on thin.
30c some copies of 30c are same color as 20c due to printing error.
1c on 3c overprint var there is a white space in the number ''1", inking error.
1c 0n3c left 1mm of left 2 characters cut off.
$10 $20 were withdrawn from sale 3 months after issue in 1923. They were put
back on sale to collectors in 28.
The manchurian overprints (Ki-Hei) Chan p305 (all are on thin paper).
Sinkiang overprint Chan 288, Airmail overprint Chan 300
Kweichow
"
"
304, Kwangsi
"
" 303
Yunnan
"
"
307, Szechwan
"
" 311
Detection of fake overprints. *China Philatelic News Uol 1,5 p19-20.
6c. brown is on thin paper
6c +8c a var comparable to the dolphin, but larger in the waves at the left
side above the R in republic.
4c olive green but more bronz green on Canadian paper.
Brown 6c only on french thin
Dolphine on die II 1/2, 1, 4, 5, +7c.
See CC Uol 55,4 p124
*JCP Uol20 Eeb 73 p60.
1926 color of 4c changed from slate gray to olive green.
1933
"
6c
"
"
scarlet
" brown.
A control chop from Kwangsi, a bogus issue,
see cc vol 59,1 p40.
Broken "P: var. cc VO157.4 p140-1.
"Eun " and "Yi" var on the 1c on 4c surcharge issues, see cc vol 58,4 p148.
Bogus overprint 3c on 4c. * cc XIU 1,p6
(From DOS notes 1991)
SECOND PEKING or THIRD PRINTING
Relative scarcity $20, $10, $5, $1, 50, 13, 4c GRAY, 30, 16, 20, 15, 10, 8, 7
6, 5, 4 OLIUE GRN, 1 1/2, 2, 1, 1/2c.
RARITY 1c +4c oliue grn exist on german web watermarked paper. This was an
experament in1926. see cc vol 57,3 p108.
A pair each of the 1c and 4c web wmkd were offered in MR sale #38 lot
1026 (special supliment to cat.) ECU was $5000.00
The actual realization was,
6c printed in 2 colors brown and scarlet both on thick paper.
PAPER *JCP Uol 20 June 73 p 87 * cc vol 40,5 p147-52.
early cream color london, rare
early french, thin hard
later Canadian, thick, rough seperations (whiskers)
The 1924 set overprinted for use in Sinking is on thin paper, london.
The 1926-36 Singking are on thick Canadian paper exept the $5 and some copies
of the 3c wich are on thin.
30c some copies of 30c are same color as 20c due to printing error.
1c on 3c overprint var there is a white space in the number ''1", inking error.
1c 0n3c left 1mm of left 2 characters cut off.
$10 $20 were withdrawn from sale 3 months after issue in 1923. They were put
back on sale to collectors in 28.
The manchurian overprints (Ki-Hei) Chan p305 (all are on thin paper).
Sinkiang overprint Chan 288, Airmail overprint Chan 300
Kweichow
"
"
304, Kwangsi
"
" 303
Yunnan
"
"
307, Szechwan
"
" 311
Detection of fake overprints. *China Philatelic News Uol 1,5 p19-20.
6c. brown is on thin paper
6c +8c a var comparable to the dolphin, but larger in the waves at the left
side above the R in republic.
4c olive green but more bronz green on Canadian paper.
Brown 6c only on french thin
Dolphine on die II 1/2, 1, 4, 5, +7c.
See CC Uol 55,4 p124
*JCP Uol20 Eeb 73 p60.
1926 color of 4c changed from slate gray to olive green.
1933
"
6c
"
"
scarlet
" brown.
A control chop from Kwangsi, a bogus issue,
see cc vol 59,1 p40.
Broken "P: var. cc VO157.4 p140-1.
"Eun " and "Yi" var on the 1c on 4c surcharge issues, see cc vol 58,4 p148.
Bogus overprint 3c on 4c. * cc XIU 1,p6
Ebay auction item # 250216874490 Feb 24-08 15:31:03 PST
Reserve US
$5,600.00
Buy now price
US $9,000.00
shipping US $ 20.00
SEE Image below right
in the course oF researching a Forthcoming monograph on the Junks issue we
have made a new discovery:
Overprint on the LONDON 1c Junk
This stamp is unlisted in all the catalogues except our own which is also
currently listed on eBay. We have compared the stamp with hundreds oF other
Sinkiang overprints and it is clearly NOT a Forgery, unlike many oF the
so-called inverted Sinkiang overprints currently listed. As the top character
oF the overprint is aligned there must have been a sheet oF the London 1c
Junks amongst the second batch oF First Peking sheets being overprinted. This
places the time oF printing with the 1916-1919 overprints. Given that the
sheets were 200 stamps in panes oF 25, there must have been another 199 oF
these__ Should you require a high-res scan oF this stamp please email us at
research@reesraaFF.co.nz" We unconditionally guarantee that this stamp is
genuine in every respect. The stamp is in perFect condition. The stamp will
be shipped by courier to the successFul bidder within 48 hours oF receiving
payment. Transit insurance is your responsibility.
Inbox - PrintINBOX.COM
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Subject:Re: London Sinking ovpnt
Date:Thursday, 21 February 2008 21:09
From:"Research" <research@reesraaFF.co.nz >
To:"Bob Zimmermann" <cigarband@inbox.com >
Hi Bob
1200dpi scan attached herewith.
Please get back to me with any Further requests or comments.
Thanks
Graham
1 image attachment
Recent Auctions
Spider web cancellation MR sale #20 10/13/91
lote 151
FORGED junks
MR sale 20 lot 150 blg/4 c10
MR sale 67
Proofs
lot 173- 175
182 184
Sinkink Air;
on 15 cent lot 215 Mandarin Trading sale #19/20
on 30 cent lot 216
"
2051
”
MR sale # 14 (ill. on cover)
743 MR sale #44
C1 Block of 4 lot
02 on cover lot 757
"
" 44
C1-2 lot 282-283 MR sale # 46
......
168-9
'•
'•
8
C3 15 cent lot 750 MR sale # 44
"
exeptional ill. lot 290 MR sale # 28
04 lot 751,2,3 MR sale 44
Manchurian Junks ovrprnted by Russia;
for postage due, lot 261 MR sale # 51
Plate proof;
1 cent block of 4 lot 92 MR sale #36
London 2 cent scarlet 15 &30 cent reaper
Unitric Philatelic co sale 28
lot 2871
London $1 lot 2872 ............
Junk postmark collection;
lot 48 Unitric Philatelic co sale 28
Manchuria ovrpnt;
set on blue (stained?) paper lot 354 MR sale
Kwangsi ovrpnt (Kue);
on $1 lot 774 MR sale # 9
Kweichow ovrpnt (Gui);
on $2 2nd Peking
lot 178 MR sale # 24
Kweichow ovrpnt (Gui);
on $2 2nd Peking
lot 178 MR sale # 24
Inverted ovrpnt;
lot 354 MRsale #43
lot 696
'•
277-8
"
'•
44
"
52
Small silver coin ovrpnt;
lot 327, 8
(postal savings)
MR sale # 43
Waterlow & Son specimin ovrpnt;
lot 457,8 MR sale # 44
••
383
289
187
"
"
9
7
2 cent on 3 ovrpnt:
on cover lot 188 MR sale # 49
1 cent on 2 ovrpnt;
on cover
lot 177 MR sale # 49
Postage due;
1915 30 cent
block oF 10 lot 168
MR sale #24
Block on cover 1st Peking, lot 520 Treasure-Hunters Ltd sale #94
1913 London prnt 1/2 cent to 30 cent lot 963
’’
’’
’’
.......
Unitric Philatelic sale#
15
32
B1 , B2 Semi postals;
on cover lot 0252 W.L. Fisher Asia Covers
and Postal History Nov 1991.
ImperFs;
1913 3 cent gutter block oF 4 leFt stamps right side imperF
lot 633 Treasure-Hunters Ltd sale# 15
1913 1 cent single imperF at right
lot 746
......
15
immperF (countreFiet) horiz pair 30 cent brown violet lot 678
Unitric Philatelic co sale # 30
Mixed Franking;
Mongolia lot 343 Treasure-Hunters Ltd sale 2
Geometric overprint/cancel?
lot 151 MR #20
Thick Canadian paper ;
1923 2nd Pekingg set lot 154 MR sale #20
Web Watermark;
1923 1 cent and 4 cent horiz pair lot 1026 MR sale # 38
Cut Cancel;
explained .ill. lot 110-111 MR sale # 13
lot 110 MR sale # 33
Paquebot;
lot 170 (cover) MR sale # 39
"
••
597-309
49
"
'•
"
'•
9
8
Imprint(printers mark);
Block of 6 1915 $1 lot 129 , 236
”
MR sale # 47
” 8 1923 1 cent lot 315 MR sale # 9
Horizontal strip of 3 1926 yunan ovrpt. 1/2 cent
lot 2533 Unitric Philatelic co sale # 28
1926 4 cent olive green
to $5
margin block oF 8 lot 157 Harmers sale # 2870
1923 $10 fx $20 bloks oF 4 with control # lot 2873 Unitric
Philatelic co sale # 28
$1 Scott 265 1923;
sheet oF 50 lot 43
MR sale # 18
$10 Scott 268 1923;
block oF 9
lot 147 MR sale # 15
$10 1913 london;
lot 454 MR sale 47 (mint & in color)
$20 Scott 242 1919;
lot 144 MR sale
15
135 "
47
"
"
$20 Scott 269 1923;
lot 44 MR sale 38
Junk reply card;
lot 247 MR sale 13
Articles From EnRoute : Chinese Die Proofs
by Sanghmitra Kundu March 1998
The National Postal Museum houses several impressive
international collections, including a remarkable early Chinese
die proof collection. The stamps were donated in 1963 by
Robert Hopkins. Hopkins was the son in-law of William A Grant,
one of two Americans responsible for establishing the Chinese
Bureau of Engraving and Printing. This unique and fascinating
collection includes die proofs, engraver's models, ink drawings
and essays from 1912 to 1928.
In 1908, the Imperial Chinese government sent a
representative, Chen Chin Tao, to the United States, Great
Britain, France and Germany to investigate stamp production
styles and to determine which method was least susceptible to
counterfeiting. The Chinese government decided that United
States' manufacturing technique was most suitable for its
purposes.
The Imperial government asked two Americans, Lorenzo J.
Hatch and William A. Grant, to establish a Chinese Bureau of
Engraving and Printing. Hatch was a renowned artist and
engraver whose experience included more than 15 years at the
United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Hatch had also
spent a number of years working at both the Western Banknote
Company of Chicago and the International Bank Note
Company. After overcoming some initial reluctance, Lorenzo
Hatch signed a six-year contract with the Chinese government.
William A. Grant, an engraver and designer, was an expert in
creating the lettering, script, vignettes, geometrical lathe work
scrolls and cycloid twirls that filled bank note and stamp
backgrounds. A particularly skilled engraver, Grant specialized
in detail engraving which helped make bank notes and stamps
difficult to counterfeit. Grant was in charge of the engraving
room at the American Bank Note Company when he agreed to
accompany Hatch to China.
Hatch and Grant established the Chinese Bureau of Engraving
and Printing in 1909. They were responsible for the design and
production of all the early Chinese Republic issues. The
production of the first stamps of the Chinese Bureau of
Engraving and Printing was very much a collaborative effort.
While Lorenzo Hatch was primarily responsible for the design of
the stamp and prepared most of the vignettes, William Grant
applied his special skills to reducing the frame and scrollwork,
as well doing the lettering and much of the actual engraving.
Lorenzo Hatch designed most of China's paper money from
1908 to his death in 1914. Grant served as the technical
advisor to the Chinese Bureau of Engraving and Printing until
his retirement in 1928. During this time, Grant had as many as
300 trainees working under him at one time, all learning the art
of steel engraving and printing. Grant also worked as a stamp
authenticator while serving as a consultant to the Chinese
Postal Service.
The issuing oF the First deFinitiue stamps oF the republic had
their own problems. Three designs were approved For the
Republic's First deFinitiue stamp issues. This series oF three
stamps embodied the hopes oF the budding republic For
progress, prosperity, and advances in education. Each stamp
design used traditional Chinese motiFs to express a theme. The
central designs depict a three-masted Chinese Junk (the Junk
issue), a Chinese Farmer harvesting a Field in Front oF the
Temple oF Heaven (the Reaper issue), and the Hall oF Classics in
Peking.
In the Junk issue, a train is shown crossing a bridge in the
background oF the Junk to represent transportation and
communication progress. Stalks oF rice Forming part oF the
columns that Flank the reaper symbolize agricultural richness in
the Reaper issue. The Hall oF Classics issue exempliFies the rich
heritage oF Chinese education and literature.
Hatch and Grant created the stamp designs and produced the
printing plates. However, the printing was not done in China.
According to Robert Hopkins, political troubles in China led post
oFFice oFFicials to award the printing order to Waterlow and
Sons, Ltd., a London company. In London, the stamps From the
prints taken From Grant's dies were re-engraved For the First
printing. The issues were reprinted in Peking in 1915 and 1923.
Grant made new, re-cut dies that were used in the 1915
printing. In 1919, the post oFFice decided to use Grant's original
design and dies.
The diFFerences between the three printings is subtle, yet easy
to distinguish. For example, in the London printing oF the Junk
issue, the lines in the water are weak except directly under the
Junk. In the First Peking printing, the vertical shading lines
under the top panel and the inner vertical Frame line are very
heavy. The water and sails oF the Junk are evenly and strongly
colored. In the second Peking printing, most oF the whitecaps in
Front oF the Junk were removed and the water is a darker
shade. In addition, the shading lines were removed From the
PDF created with pdFFactory trial version www.pdFFactory.com
National Postal Museum
http://postalmuseum.si.edu/resources/6a2r_chinesedieprooFs.html
3 oF 3
11/21/04 10:00 AM
arabesques and pearls above the tip inscription and the inner
shadings at the top and sides oF the picture were cut away.
OF all his works on stamps, Grant was especially proud oF his
designs For, and engravings oF, the Chinese airmail stamps. The
stamp design shows a Curtiss "Jenny" airplane Flying over the
Great Wall oF China. The Bars oF the Republic Flag can be seen
on its tail. The essay samples in the collection shot; that the
original design depicted a smaller plane From a diFFerent angle,
head-on. Also in Grant's collection are Five airmail stamps,
ranging in denomination From 15-cents to 90-cents. They are
prooF impressions oF the special cachet used at Peking on July
1, 1921 to cancel mail matter on the First airmail Flight between
Peking, Tsinan and Shanghai.
The National Postal Museum's Chinese die prooF collection is
more than just the only existing physical record oF this notable
period oF Chinese history. It is a testament to the extraordinary
talent and work oF two remarkable printing artists.
The Chinese
post Office
placed an order in London for a new set of stamps These were
issued on their arrival in 1913 This new set comprised nineteen stamps, values 56c to $10 There were
three distinct designs for the stamps the main features of the design of the 56c to 10c being a junk and a
railway train, representing “Communications” (Type 3), the design of the 15c. to 50c stamps being a
reaper, representing “ Agriculture” (Type 4), and the design for the $1 to $10 being the Pai-lou (or arch)
in the enclosure of the Hall of Classics at Pekin, representing “Literature” (Type 5)
The stamps were printed on white wove paper, each stamp measuring 26x22 mm , the perforation being
14 The stamps had no watermark The 56c to 50c stamps were printed in sheets of 200 stamps, each
sheet being marked off into panes of 25 stamps by thin lines These lines were supposed to run down the
perforation holes, but more often than not the perforating machine missed the line altogether, so stamps
are often seen with the line on one of its margins, sometimes on two adjacent margins The $ 1 -$ 10
stamps were printed in sheets of 50 The engraving and printing were carried out by Messrs Waterlow
& Sons, London
Mr Church Chu, a leading Chinese philatelist, states that stamps may be found imperf between either
vertically or horizontally in most of the values The writer, however, has only seen a 2c , 3c and 8c
imperf between horizontally, and a 4c stamp imperf between vertically Distinct shades, however, are
to be found in all values, and these are especially marked in the 56c., lc., 2c., 8c. and 20c
Towards the end of 1914 the Chinese Post Office decided to have their stamps printed in China This
decision was reached partly because the continuity of the supply of stamps from London was becoming
very uncertain - due no doubt, to the labour and shipping problems of that time
The work of re-engraving the dies and the printing of the stamps was entrusted to the Chinese Bureau of
Engraving and Printing The same designs were used for the stamps, but the re-engraving of the dies
involved vanous minor alterations in the details of the designs The most easily noticed alterations are
In the Junk design, first issue, the three waves in front of the junk appear as almost regular dots, and the
sail of the highest mast of the junk has a thin hair-line running all the way along it, whereas, in the
second issue, the three waves appear as two short lines and a dot, and the hair-line above the sail does
not continue past the mast (this hair-line is absent entirely on many specimens, due to the wearing of the
plate). In the Reaper design, first issue, the instrument in the reaper’s hand has an outer line which starts
down from the hand, in the second issue, however, this line does not start from the hand, but ends in a
sharp point just below the hand In the Arch design, first issue, the middle window on top of the arch is
rectangular, but in the second issue this window is oblong
The set, at first, comprised 20 stamps, a $20 stamp having been added. In 1919, however, two other
values, the V2C. and 13c., were also added to the set.
Just before the issue of these two new values in 1919, a Postal Notification appeared in the Press
announcing various changes in the postal tariff, and with these changes of tariff, a revision of the colours
of the stamps was announced. At the same time, notice of the issue of the two new values, viz. I/2C. and
13c., and the withdrawal of the 7c. and 15c. was given. The postal tariff certainly was changed, the two
new stamps were issued, but the 7c. and 15c. were not withdrawn, neither were the colours revised until
the 1923 issue (and then not all the changes first announced took place).
One wonders why the Post Office issues stamps as high in value as $10 or $20. The reason for this is
that the Post Office uses these high-value stamps on money orders. High-valued stamps have been seen
postally used - but they must have been passed through the post, overstamping some packet many times
over, with the sole purpose of getting the stamp postmarked! The post offices often postmark stamps to
oblige collectors.
Each stamp of the second issue measures 25/2-22/2 mm., and has aperforation of 14, 14/2. The stamps
were printed in sheets similar to the sheets of the first issue. In 1922, however, an experiment was made
to equalize the monetary value of the sheets of stamps, by altering the number of stamps to a sheet, and
by inserting blanks to make the sheets regular in shape. The experimental sheets were issued to the
public, but the experiment was not a success, and it was discontinued as soon as the sheets were used up.
The greatest difficulty is expenenced in completing this set on account of the variations in the paper.
The following papers have been seen ;
(a) />c.-$20 on thin white wove paper.
(b) /:c.-$20 on thick white wove paper.
(c) /2c.-$2 on thick smooth Chinese paper.
(d) /2c.-$2 on thick chalky, rough-surfaced Chinese paper. Stamps printed on this paper have a blurred
appearance - especially the 4c., red.
(e) $ 1 -$ 10 on a thin greyish blue paper.
As in the first issue, so in this second issue distinct shades are to be found, but they are not so
pronounced. The variation in shade is mostly due to the different absorbent powers of the various papers
used, so one should differentiate between various papers before attempting to discriminate between the
shades of colouring.
A very rare Chinese stamp is the $2 of this set with its arch-centre inverted. A complete sheet (50
stamps) was printed in error, and issued at the post office of Tai-yuen-fu. One of the fifty was used on a
money order, and is in the hands of the Post Office; the others are at large.
This series was not issued as a complete set; but as the corresponding values of the first issue were used
up, so the stamps of this set were released. All values except the I/2C. and 13c. were issued sometime in
1915.
Postal activities extended to Chinese Turkestan (the Chinese province of Sinkiang) early in 1915. A
special overprint (Type 6), consisting of five Chinese characters meaning: “Exclusively for Postal use in
the New Dominion,” was prepared by the Postal Supply Department at Shanghai, and sixteen
denominations of the 1915 issue of stamps were overprinted, the values thus overprinted being /2c. to
$1; and all except the $1 stamp were overprinted in black; the $1 stamp being overprinted in red. This
first overprint differs from the second overprint in that the first (top) Chinese character of the overprint
is slightly out of alignment, to the left, with the other four characters.
A rather rare error occurs in the overprint of the $1 stamp of this issue. The second and third characters
became transposed on one of the stamps on the sheet. This was noticed later and was rectified, but not
until a good few errors had been issued.
The second set of Chinese stamps overprinted for use in Sinkiang was issued in 1917. The same stamps
and the same overprint were used, but this time the first character falls in line with the other four (Type
7). The whole set was overprinted, and later, in 1919, the new l^c. and 13c. were also overprinted. The
/2c. to 50c. stamps were overprinted in black, and the $1 to $20 stamps in red. The preparing of the
second overprint and the printing were done by the Chinese Bureau of Printing and Engraving at Pekin.
An error occurs in the surcharge of the 20c. stamp, the overprint being broken, the bottom one and a half
characters being missing entirely. All values, except the two highest, of this issue were perforated with
the outlines of four Chinese characters — being for official use. These perforated characters may be
found inverted or reversed.
A Study of the
JUNK, REAPER and HALL OF CLASSICS STAMPS OF CHINA, 1913-1933
by Wg/Cdr* J.O. Davis.
REFERENCES
The Stamps of China by Dr, Leonard B. Cane,
Cataloguea;
Stanley Gibbons,
London.
Ma Zung Sung,
Directorate General of Posts, Taipei
K.C.Y,
H.B.R. Clarke sale by Robson Lowe, London
E.W. Mann sale by P.A. Wilde,
Cardiff
A.Diercking sale by H.R. Harmer, London.
Shanghai
Taipei
Journals;-
China Section Bulletin, City of London Philatelic Society.
Journal of Chinese Philately, China Philatelic Society of London.
China Clipper, China Unit of the American Philatelic Society, and
subsequently, China Stamp Society, U.S.A.
Collectors Club Philatelist, New York.
Philatelic Journal of Great Britain.
Philatelic Magazine, London.
INTRODUCTION
Designs. From their inception in 1878 almost all the postage stamps
of China bore the Imperial emblems, the dragon, the carp and the
goose, but in 1913, the year following the successful revolt by
Dr. Sun /Yat-sen, the new Republican Government supplanted these sym­
bols with designs shot-zing the common sailing ship or junk, a reaper
in the field before the Temple of Heaven and
the three arched
doors of the Hall of Classics in Peking thus introducing a definit­
ive issue which, with minor variations, remained in use for over
twenty years and in consequence many millions of these stamps were
printed.
According to the catalogues of Gibbons, Ma and the Directorate
of Posts, the first issue was engraved and recess printed by Waterlow & Sons in London but further information about the designer and
engraver came to light in America in 1948.
When the Chinese Bureau of Engraving and Printing wag inaugur­
ated in Poking in 1909, Lt was placed under the direction of an
American named Lorenzo J. Hatch with William A. Grant as his engrav­
er and it is probable that the vignettes of these stamps were des­
igned by Hatch and engravedby Grant, who also designed the border
frames. It is thought that Mr. Hatch evolved the Junk series as sym­
bolic of the growth of commerce and communications, the Reaper to
represent the nation’s great agricultural wealth and the Hall of
Classics as typifying the long tradition of literature and culture
enjoyed by the educated section of Chinese society*
The design on the ^c to 10c stamps is a junk in full sail on a
wide river with a train moving over a steel viaduct bridge in the
background, and the reaper design on the remaining values to 50c,
depicts a farmer harvesting rice with the Temple of Heaven in the
background, the whole picture flanked by two ears of wheat in the
border frame thus indicating the importance of agriculture in the
national economy.
The Temple of Heaven, in Peking (which had already
appeared on the 1909 commemorative stamps also designed by Hatch) is
a three-storey, pagoda-like building containing the altar of prayer
for good harvests, and the design of the vignette was taken from an
oil painting by a Chinese student, which was subsequently placed on
exhibition in Peking in the spring of 1914. The central motif of the
dollar values is the three arched gateway of the Hall of Classics in.
Peking.
Up to a year ago Gibbons catalogue described this building
as the Temple of Confucius, but now calls it the Imperial Academy.
In Peking it also known as the Palace of Learning and is the place
where the Emperor’s used to deliver lectures on the Classics.
It was
said of this hall that ”it was for the Emperor to promote propriety
and music, propogate virtue and civilisation, and educate the masses
to become gentlemen”.
Dates of Issue
Mr Hatch died in February 1914 but in 1923 Mr. Grant, in his
eighties was living in quiet retirement in the U.S.A, and his son-inlaw Mr* R.O.D. Hopkins has stated that at the time these dies were
completed political trouble or, as Colonel Valentine R. Burkhardt has
it, lack of money to keep the Bureau running, caused postal officials
to send tho printing order to Waterlow in London, who had supplied
the needs of the Chinese Post Office since 1898* Upon receipt of these
dies Messrs. Waterlow took prints from them and proceeded to embellish
the borders somewhat before re-engraving them and thus 1st Issue (May
1913) of this beautiful and interesting series came to be printed in
London.
After the outbreak of the World War in. 1914 it became increasing­
ly difficult to get stamps supplied from England and the cost became
higher than, printing them in China.
By this time the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing was thoroughly established in Peking so the
Chinese postal administration asked Mr. Grant if he could copy the
Waterlow stamps in such a way that the public would not notice the
difference.
This he did and tho printing thereafter was done in
Peking, All the leading catalogues including the official one pub­
lished in 1956 by the Directorate General of Posts, Taipei, Formosa,
list the date of this second issue as 1915, no month being given, but
this date was queried
in the ’’China Clipper” by Mr. K.W.Irlc in
1957 and by Mr. J.P.T.Bebb in 1960, who had irrefutable evidence of
cancellations in 1914 from places as far apart as Shanghai, Tientsin
and Chinkiang, the earliest being 7th August 1914.
Some values of
this the 2nd Issue (1914) were probably sold alongside the 1st issue
until stocks were exhausted.
JCP Vol. 20 Feb. 1973
Mr. Hopkins has also stated that as far back as 1919 the Post
Office decided after all to use the original dies designed and en­
graved by his father-in-law and Mre Hatch, and they were therefore
used with their much simplified ornamentation, when the 3rd Issue
(1923) came to be printed also in Peking.
Thus the last version of this series was really the original
design and Mr. Hopkins1 statement is borne out by Prof. S.R.Sheldon
who had been professor of mathematics and engineering at Nanyang
University, Shanghai^ Professor Sheldon who was a keen philatelist,
spent some 20 years in China in connection with educational work
under the Bureau of Communications and during this period, had access
to many of the Post Office archives and his corroboration on this
point is important.
The Junk design also appeared on printed postal stationery,
postcards etc., from 191$ to 1927, and some of these postcards were
also overprinted for restricted use in Sinkiang and Yunnan.
It is interesting to note that in 1931 after the Postal Union
Congress had authorised postal metering machines for international
postage, Rodeo-Neopost Ltd, in an endeavour to introduce their
machines to the Chinese authorities, prepared a limited value die
in a design based on the current Junie issue, but the use of these
machines was not sanctioned at this time.
PRINTING
DETAILS
1st. Issue, May 1913.
Engraved and recess printed by Waterlow & Sons, London, on
white, unwatermarked paper, guromed and perforated 14 to 15.
The
cents values were printed in sheets of 200 stamps in 8 panes (2 x 4)
of 25 (5 x 5) stamps each.
In between the* pane a there is a wide
gutter.
The dollar values were printed in sheets of 50 stamps.
Values
3, 4, 5, 6, 7j 8, and 10 cents show the junk and
the 15, 16, 20, 30, and 50 cents are in the reaper design.
The
1, 2,* I 5 and 10 dollars are bi-coloured with the Hall of Classics
vignette always in black.
The engraving is good, but evidence of hasty work is shown by
the large number of minor plate varieties, double transfers, scratch­
es, lay-out marks, etc., which appear.
On the
certain double
transfers are so conspicuous as to be easily seen without 0. Lena.
Some values of this printing, the 2c, 7c, 8c, and 10c and to a lesserextent the 5c and 6c, show a double line at the top edge of the high­
est sail which is missing, or nearly so, on the other values.
Nr. G.E. Wilson, after making investigations into tool markings
on this issue, even suggests (J.C.P. Aug. 1960) that there might be
three separate value tablet dies (Chinese figures) for the 2Oc value
and Messrs. P.Hock and H.G. Morgan consider that the pronounced hook
that occurs on the point of the Arabic numeral "1" on plate 9, pane
2, stamp 8 of the 1c value may only be a semi-constant variety due
to worn plates.
Sir David Roseway also drew attention (J.C.P. Sept, 1957). to
pronounced cracks on plates of the 4c and 20c values of this issue
and was later supported by Mr. E.N. Lane. ' There are no major var­
ieties except ’’Fantails” and "Inperf. between”.
2nd. Issue, 1914-1919
Engraved and recess printed by the Chinese Bureau of Engraving
d. Printing, Peking, first on thick and later on thinner unwatermarked
gummed paper, perforated 14.
The printing lay-out was the same as
for the 1st. Issue and the same 19 values were printed in 1914, and
in 1919 the l^c, 13c, and #20 wre added.
Once again all the dollar
values are bi-coloured with the centres in black.
The engraving of these dies is coarser than the 1st. Issue, often
giving the stamps a smudgy appearance, but the plate work was more
carefully executed, hence a greater scarcity of double transfers, lay­
out dots etc.
Some stamps of the 10c value show a variety with the
dot missing from the terminal curve of the right-hand foliate ornament
above the scroll.
This is constant and fairly common and may t>e
found in strips and blocks.
There is also little doubt that the 5c
stamps were printed in two different colours.
Gibbons, Ma and the
catalogue of the Inspectorate General, describe it as rosy mauve or
rose purple, but Yu’s catalogue calls it rose lilac. if therefore
we settle for the two colours as rose and lilac we shall not be far
wrong.
The f aw* us error of the #2 blue and black with centre inverted
occurs in this issue and Ma reports that only one sheet of 50 stamps
was discovered and that sheet In the post office at Hankow.
Col.
Burkhardt recalls (China Clipper Feb^ 1951) that in 1926 a dealer
named Martin at Tientsin, had acquired half-a-dozen copies and dis­
posed of them for #65 (Mexican) each.
Since then a number-of copies
of this well known variety have been sold by auction in the West.
At the sale in London, in February 1937, of George K. Parsons collect­
ion, this stamp fetched £55, but at the Edwin H. Finegan sale by
Harmer Rooke in London in the same year it only realised £47. However
in 1943 at the sale of George D. Scudder’s stamps iu New York, a copy
fetched #205 and on 21st June 1944 when the Rosenfeld collection was
dispersed, Dr.H. Herbert Johnson then editor of the "China Clipper”
bought a copy for #180. Messrs. H.R.Harmer also sold a copy in New
York on 20th May 1949 for #340 and when, the same firm auctioned the
collection of Adolphus Diercking in London on 6th November 1956, this
variety fetched £160.
No other major varieties occur except ’’Fantails”
between” and there are less of these than in the Waterlow printing
3rd Issue.
1923-1933
Engraved and recess printed from the original Hatch/Grant dies,
by the Chinese Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Peking, first on a
thin. French paper and later on a thicker Canadian paper, both unwatermarked, gummed and perforated 14.
In the "China Clipper" of February
1951, Col. Burkhardt stated that there were three, not two, varieties
of paper used for this issue and that he had been given samples of
all three by the printers* His statement does not appear to have
elicited much subsequent comment of value and the 1956 official cat­
alogue from the Directorate General of Posts categorically states
that only two papers were used*
The 22 values comprising the 2nd*
Issue, were first printed on the thin paper and subsequently on the
thicker paper when in 1926, the colour of the 4c was changed from
slate grey to olive green and in 1933, the 6c from scarlet to brown*
The ^10 were not printed on thick paper and, as shown the 4c and 6c
do not occur on the thin paper*
All the dollar values are bi-col­
oured, but in this issue, none has the centre in black*
Two separate dies exist for the low values of this printing*
The second and possibly the newer die, is used for the ^c,lc,4c,5c,
and 7c and may be distinguished by what might be called the "dol­
phin” in the lower right-hand corner of the water; definitely a
fishy looking object with a dot for an eye* ( See photo-plate Fig.1).
The stamps in cent values were first printed as usual in sheets
of 200 and the dollar values in sheets of 50 but in later days the
cent stamps were issued in sheets of 120,140, 160 and 180 so as to
facilitate the making of stamp booklets; Each sheet was divided into
several panes with a wide strip of white paper left between each pane
as a margin for binding*
The following varieties are known!1c and 10 e
lc, 2c, and 5c
4c grey.
lc, 3c, 5c and 10c
7 panes of
4 panes of
4 panes of
3 panes of
1 x 20
2 x 20
3 x 10
3 x 20
Mr* Hubert B.R.Clarke states that plate 10 of the 2c yellowgreen was also made up for the purpose of booklets in a setting
of 4 panes of 2 x 16 making 128 in all, but that this printing was
in fact, never used for booklets and the small stock was sold over
the counter*
All the leading catalogues describe the colour of the 20c value
as red-brown'but the colour of the 30c is variously given as purple,
deep purple or claret and it is probable that the ink used for the
30c stamps was made from the same base as that for the 20c with an
admixture to give it a slightly more violet cast*
It is possible
that occasionally insufficient care was taken with this mixing or
that sometimes the inking rollers on the machines, were not properly
cleaned, for some of the 30c stamps have undoubtedly been found
printed in exactly the same colour as the 20c.
Apart from this there
do not seem to be any major varieties except nLmperf* between11.
PaperDifferences London and 1st Peking Printing
There are many differences between the three issue*
and It Is helpful for the purpose of IdentifierClox
to know tavaral pointe on. each stamp, preferably soma distance apart
from each other, that may be aeon without using a lens if one's pyea
are reasonably good*
Xt is quite extraordinary how frequently a
poetmark seems to cover a button or a secret mark on a stamp if that
is the only point of difference.
DIFFERENTIATION
2ndr lesuog,
To distinguish between the 1st and 2nd, Issues is fairly diff­
icult and some differences are a bit obscure. Mr. R.J* Sutton for
instance, has pointed out that the shadowy railway locomotive on the
bridge in the right background has
wheels In the first Issue but
has practically lost then in tho 2nd and the rear coaches of the
train tend to fade away on the 2nd Issue*
The paper of the 1st Issue is hard and strong and the designs
arc sometimes visible from the back of the stomp while tho paper of
the 2nd Issue la softer and more opaque, Tha following tabulated
differences
however* are more pronounced and should prove helpful
and decisive.
TO DATE A CANCEL
If you take a Chinese stamp and read the date of its cancel, it night
be a nontrivial problem. Because the year of the cancel may be in Western year
or Chinese year. Sometimes it is difficult to tell the day from the year. One
may often be puzzled. We offer some help as follows.
First, one must have some idea of the approximate date of issue and
usage of the Stamp in hand. IS it issued in the Imperial period? or the early
Republic? 1930*s? or early 1940’s or late 1940’s? Knowing this is quite useful
in reading the date.
There is no problem for cancels of the Imperial period, because the
cancellations were in Western years, as in custom and bilingual chops. For
lunar cancels you can identify the year by Chinese characters of Gan-Zhi and
then find the corresponding Western year. Fer dollar cancel the Western
date is are in the top half and Chinese date in Chinese characters in bottom
half. The Chinese year is from 24 to 34 which is counted by Kuang-Shu, or from
1 to 3 which is counted by Shuan-Tung.
For the cancels of the Republic period, it is important to know their
approximate date of issue. If the year is in Chinese characters, no doub it is
in Chinese year counted by Min-Kuo( from 1 to 38 in mainland and from 34 to
now in Taiwan.). If it is in Arabic numerals, we have to see the type of the
cancel For the cancels without place name in Chinese characters( for example
the international cancels.), the years stand for Western years- 28 for
1928. For the cancels in both English and Chinese, the years could be Chinese
years or Western years, depending on which is reasonable. For instance, if you
find the year is 16 in a London Junk 1c, you know it is 1916( 4th year of MinKuo). For in 1927( 16th year of Min-Kuo) the London Junks were replaced by the
Second Peking printing. On the other hand, if the year in a London SYS single
circle 4c is 31, it is hard to tell whether it is 1931( 20th year of Min-Kuo)
or 1942( 31st year of Min-Kuo) because some London SYS unsurcharged were used
as late as to the middle of 1940’s.
But not in all the cases can we tell the year from the day. If you
find another London SYS 4c with the date 23. 7. 30., the only thing we know is
7 stand for July. But there is no way to tell it is July 30, 1934 or July 23,
1941, since we don’t know which stands for year and which for day. There was
no agreement in the format of date setting at that time. It is up to you to
decide which is the reasonable year, or both!
As to the cancels of People’s Republic of China, we can date them
easily because they are all in the Western years.
IE you read cancels on cover, it is much easier because the cover
provides many indications to date the cancels. While for a single Stamps there
1933
First published in IStanley Gibbons Monthly Journal! (June 1, 1927) and written by Gordon A. Clayton.
The Chinese haue. For many centuries past, been in a uery lethargic state oF mind: their
rulers haue been able to ouerawe
them, and rule them uery despotically; and their uery religions haue taught them to bow
their heads to the ineuitable,
without
murmur, and without attempting to kick ouer the traces.
Howeuer, during the last three decades the people haue slowly come out oF their lethargic
state, and haue realised how
downtrodden they were by their Manchu rulers. Euents haue moued swiftly since 1909,
culminating in the mutiny oF the army
at Wuchang on the 11th October, 1911. An army was sent down from Sze-chuen to suppress
the rebellion; but on the way down
the Vangtse Riuer the soldiers heard oF the mutiny at Wuchang, and they also mutinied I
in sympathy with their comrades,
murdering Tuan-Fang, their Manchu leader.
AFter the mutiny at Wuchang the reuolution spread rapidly. Hankow was captured and burned,
and Hanyang with its arsenal was
also taken. The uarious prouinces south oF the Yangtze one by one seceded From the Empire and
set up independent gouernments.
The Regent induced Yuan Shih-k’ai, who had retired in 1908 to saue his own head, to take up
oFFice again as commander-inchieF oF the army and nauy. Yuan brought the army From Pekin to Hankow, and recaptured that
city and Hanyang beFore his
Funds ran out. The Regent, being unable to eFFect a loan, was Forced to come to terms with the
reuolutionists.
At this moment, Dr. Sun Yat-sen returned From abroad, arriuing in Shanghai on the 27th December,
1911, and on the 29th was
elected President by the representatiues oF the reuniting prouinces, except Chekiang, which
objected. The southern
prouinces, with Dr. Sun as their President, set up their new capital at Nanking, and drew up a
prouisional constitution.
In the meantime, pressure had been brought to bear on the Empress Lungyu, Regent and Fostermother
oF the boy Emperor, and
she abdicated the throne on the 12th February, 1912. At the same time she commissioned
Yuan Shih-k’ai, who was then Premier,
to establish the Republic.
Yuan Shih-k’ai made an agreement with Dr. Sun Yat-sen and the Southern Republic For a temporary
gouernment to be set up at
Pekin with himselF as the temporary President. Yuan took the oath oF office in Pekin as prouisional
President on the 10th of
March, 1912, and immediately called together a new National Assembly.
At this juncture the Post Office, finding that their stock of stamps was running short, decided to
print a commemoratiue
set of stamps. They could not wait until the new National Assembly had elected the first
President, as the supply of stamps
would not last. Neither dared they inuoke the wrath of the first President by not printing his
portrait. There were two
candidates for the Presidency I Yuan Shih-k’ai and Dr. Sun Yat-sen. So the Post Office, to get ouer
the difficulty, printed
two complete sets of stamps; the one portraying Yuan Shih-k’ai, commemorating the proclamation of
the lUnited Republic on
the 12th of February, 1912 (Type 1); the other bearing the portrait oF Dr. Sun Yat-sen, commemorating
the start oF the
reuolution at Wuchang on the 10th oF October, 1911 (Type 2).
Each of these two sets comprised twelve stamps, with values from 1c. to $5.
The stamps were printed on white wove paper, in sheets of 100 stamps, with a perforation of 14fe.
The stamps with Sun
Yat-sen's portrait measure 36x24 mm., and those with Yuan Shih-k’ai’s portrait measure 34x26 mm.
Neither set was
watermarked. The engraving and printing were done by the Chinese Bureau oF Engraving and Printing
at Pekin. The two sets
were issued simultaneously in November, 1912.
In the meantime the Post OFFice had placed an order in London For a new set oF stamps. These were
issued on their arrival
in 1913. This new set comprised nineteen stamps, values fee. to $10. There were three distinct
designs For the stamps: the
main Features oF the design oF the fee. to 10c. being a junk and a railway train, representing
■Communications! (Type 3);
the design oF the 15c. to 50c. stamps being a reaper, representing lAgriculturel (Type 4); and
the design For the $1 to
$10 being the Pai-lou (or arch) in the enclosure oF the Hall oF Classics at Pekin, representing
■Literature! (Type 5).
The stamps were printed on white wove paper; each stamp measuring 26x22 mm., the perForation being
14. The stamps had no
watermark. The fee. to 50c. stamps were printed in sheets oF 200 stamps, each sheet being marked
oFF into panes oF 25 stamps
by thin lines. These lines were supposed to run down the perForation holes, but more oFten than
not the perForating machine
missed the line altogether, so stamps are oFten seen with the line on one oF its margins, sometimes
on two adjacent margins.
The $1-$10 stamps were printed in sheets oF 50. The engraving and printing were carried out by
Messrs. Waterlow & Sons, London.
Mr. Church Chu, a leading Chinese philatelist, states that stamps may be Found imperF. between
either vertically or
horizontally in most oF the values. The writer, however, has only seen a 2c., 3c. and 8c. imperF.
between horizontally,
and a 4c. stamp imperF. between vertically. Distinct shades, however, are to be Found in all
values, and these are
especially marked in the fee., 1c., 2c., 8c. and 20c.
Towards the end oF 1914 the Chinese Post OFFice decided to have their stamps printed in China.
This decision was reached
partly because the continuity oF the supply oF stamps From London was becoming very uncertain I
due no doubt, to the labour
and shipping problems oF that time.
The work oF re-engraving the dies and the printing oF the stamps was entrusted to the Chinese
Bureau oF Engraving and
Printing. The same designs were used For the stamps, but the re-engraving oF the dies involved
various minor alterations in
the details of the designs. The most easily noticed alterations are: In the Junk design, first
issue, the three waves in
Front of the junk appear as almost regular dots, and the sail oF the highest mast oF the junk has
a thin hair-line running
all the way along it; whereas, in the second issue, the three waves appear as two short lines and
a dot, and the hair-line
above the sail does not continue past the mast (this hair-line is absent entirely on many specimens,
due to the wearing oF
the plate). In the Reaper design, First issue, the instrument in the reaper's hand has an outer
line which starts down From
the hand; in the second issue, however, this line does not start From the hand, but ends in a sharp
point just below the
hand. In the Arch design, First issue, the middle window on top oF the arch is rectangular, but in
the second issue this
window is oblong.
he set, at First, comprised 20 stamps, a $20 stamp having been added. In 1919, however, two other
values, the ^c. and 13c.,
were also added to the set.
Just beFore the issue oF these two new values in 1919, a Postal NotiFication appeared in the Press
announcing various
changes in the postal tariFF; and with these changes oF tariff, a revision oF the colours oF the
stamps was announced. At
the same time, notice oF the issue oF the two new values, viz. 1%c. and 13c., and the withdrawal oF
the 7c. and 15c. was
given. The postal tariFF certainly was changed, the two new stamps were issued, but the 7c. and 15c.
were not withdrawn,
neither were the colours revised until the 1923 issue (and then not all the changes First announced
took place).
One wonders why the Post OFFice issues stamps as high in value as $10 or $20. The reason For this is
that the Post OFFice
uses these high-value stamps on money orders. High-valued stamps have been seen postally used I
but they must have been
passed through the post, overstamping some packet many times over, with the sole purpose oF getting
the stamp postmarked?
The post oFFices often postmark stamps to oblige collectors.
Each stamp oF the second issue measures 25^-22^ mm., and has a perforation of 14, 143$. The stamps
were printed in sheets
similar to the sheets of the first issue. In 1922, however, an experiment was made to equalize
the monetary value of the
sheets of stamps, by altering the number of stamps to a sheet, and by inserting blanks to make
the sheets regular in shape.
The experimental sheets were issued to the public, but the experiment was not a success, and it
was discontinued as soon
as the sheets were used up.
The greatest difficulty is experienced in completing this set on account of the variations in the
paper. The following
papers have been seen ;
(a) ^c.-$20 on thin white wove paper.
(b) ^c.-$20 on thick white wove paper.
(c) 3$c.-$2 on thick smooth Chinese paper.
(d) ^c.-$2 on thick chalky, rough-surfaced Chinese paper. Stamps printed on this paper have a
blurred appearance I
especially the 4c., red.
(e) $1-$10 on a thin greyish blue paper.
In 1926 the colour of the 4c. stamp was changed From grey to bronze-green. At the same time
the paper seems to haue been
changed From smooth surFaced woue paper to a chalky paper that tends to absorb the ink. Thus
the new paper oF the 2c. green
stamp has a yellow tinge, and the paper oF the 10c. blue stamp has a bluish tinge. The
redrawing oF the designs and the
printing were done by the Chinese Bureau oF Engrauing and Printing at Pekin
The complete issue was ouerprinted For use in Sinkiang, with the same surcharge as used in
1917. The set, up to $5, was
also punched with the Four Chinese characters For oFFicial use. In 1926 the new 4c.
bronze-green stamps were ouerprinted,
and replaced the 4c. grey stamps as they were used up.
In 1923 a Commemorative issue appeared, commemorating the tenth year oF the Republic, the
design being a reproduction
oF the Temple oF Heauen (Type 10). The set comprised Four stamps, 1c., 3c , 4c. and 10c.
Each stamp measures 28x34 mm., the perForation being 14, 143$. Each sheet, composed oF 100
stamps, was printed on woue paper.
The Chinese Bureau oF Engrauing and Printing was responsible For the engrauing and printing.
The Four stamps were also surcharged For use in Sinkiaug. This surcharge is easily missed,
three oF the Chinese characters
being down one side oF the stamp, the other two down the other side, the characters being
smaller than those usually used
on the Sinkiang surcharge.
During 1923 the postal tariFF was again altered. Under the old tariFF the 4c. stamp had been
greatly used, so the stock oF
these stamps was large. Howeuer, under the new tariFF the 3c. stamp was in great demand.
To rid themselues oF their large
stock oF 4c. stamps the Post OFFice had them surcharged in red, reducing their ualue to 3c.
The stamps were surcharged by
the Chinese Bureau oF Engrauing and Printing in sheets oF 200 and 120. The surcharge is to
be Found inuerted; and the top
bar oF the Chinese character at leFt oF ICts.l is missing on one stamp in the sheet oF 200.
(This error was corrected
later.)
Postage Due Stamps
With the First general issue oF Republican stamps issued in 1913, a set oF eight Postage
Due stamps was also issued. Their
design (Type 11) is ornamental, and they were all printed in blue. The ualues oF the
stamps are: ^c., 1c., 2c., 4c., Sc.,
10c., 20c., 30c. They were engraued and printed by Messrs. Waterlow & Sons, London. The
stamps measured 17x25 mm., and
were perForated 14. The paper was thick woue, unwatermarked.
In 1915, when the Post OFFice decided to print the stamps in China, a new issue oF these
Postage Due stamps appeared. The
stamps were identical with those oF the First issue, except that the perForation was changed
to 14, 143$, and the paper was
much thinner.* The printing oF this second issue oF Postage Due stamps was done by the Chinese
Bureau oF Engrauing and
Printing at Pekin. In each oF these two issues the stamps were printed in sheets oF 200 stamps,
diuided oFF into panes oF
25 stamps.
As in the First issue, so in this second issue distinct shades are to be Found, but they are not
so pronounced. The
variation in shade is mostly due to the diFFerent absorbent powers oF the various papers used,
so one should diFFerentiate
between various papers beFore attempting to discriminate between the shades oF colouring.
A very rare Chinese stamp is the $2 oF this set with its arch-centre inverted. A complete sheet
(50 stamps) was printed in
error, and issued at the post oFFice oF Tai-yuen-Fu. One oF the FiFty was used on a money order,
and is in the hands oF the
Post OFFice; the others are at large.
This series was not issued as a complete set; but as the corresponding values oF the First issue
were used up, so the
stamps oF this set were released. All values except the 1%c. and 13c. were issued sometime in 1915.
Postal activities extended to Chinese Turkestan (the Chinese province oF Sinkiang) early in 1915.
A special overprint
(Type 6), consisting oF Five Chinese characters meaning: ^Exclusively For Postal use in the New
Dominion,! was prepared
by
the Postal Supply Department at Shanghai, and sixteen denominations oF the 1915 issue oF stamps
were overprinted; the
values thus overprinted being Xc. to $1; and all except the $1 stamp were overprinted in black;
the $1 stamp being
overprinted in red. This First overprint diFFers From the second overprint in that the First (top)
Chinese character oF the
overprint is slightly out oF alignment, to the leFt, with the other Four characters.
A rather rare error occurs in the overprint oF the $1 stamp oF this issue. The second and third
characters became
transposed on one oF the stamps on the sheet. This was noticed later and was rectiFied, but not
until a good Few errors had
been issued.
The second set oF Chinese stamps overprinted For use in Sinkiang was issued in 1917. The same stamps
and the same overprint
were used, but this time the First character Falls in line with the other Four (Type 7). The whole
set was overprinted, and
later, in 1919, the new 1^c. and 13c. were also overprinted. The ^c. to 50c. stamps were overprinted
in black, and the $1
to $20 stamps in red. The preparing oF the second overprint and the printing were done by the Chinese
Bureau oF Printing
and Engraving at Pekin.
An error occurs in the surcharge oF the 20c. stamp, the overprint being broken, the bottom one and a
halF characters being
missing entirely. All values, except the two highest, oF this issue were perForated with the outlines
oF Four Chinese
characters i being For oFFicial use. These perForated characters may be Found inverted or reversed.
When Vuan Shih-k’ai called together the First National Assembly, he was elected the First President
oF the Republic.
Immediately aFter his installation as President, he set to work systematically to destroy the two
Houses oF the Parliament.
Charges were made against many oF the members, and they, remembering the summary executions oF the
previous summer, Fled.
When a quorum could not be Formed in either House, Vuan dispersed the rest oF the members, and called
together a new
National Assembly, the members oF which were well under his control. Then there began a skilFully
conducted propaganda to
make it appear that the people were calling upon Vuan to make himselF Emperor. With Feigned indignation
he put the prize
From him, until aFter many entreaties, all concocted by his subordinates,
with pretended reluctance he consented to accept the crown. He duly
announced that the Empire would be proclaimed on the 1st oF January, 1916.
To commemorate this great euent Yuan ordered a set oF three stamps to be
prepared and printed. They were to be issued on the day oF his coronation.
Yuan, howeuer, neuer came to the throne, so these stamps were not issued
to the public For postal use. The stamps were, howeuer, surcharged in black
with the word Ispecimen,! and sold to the publi(at Face ualue) as curiosities.
The stamps were engraued and printed by the Chinese Bureau oF Engrauing
and Printing at Peking. Each sheet comprised 100 stamps. Each stamp measured
25^x34 mm. and had a perForation oF 14. The printing was done on white woue
paper. The ualues, colours and designs oF the stamps were:
5 c., red. Gate oF Chien Men at Pekin.
10 c., blue. Gate oF Tien An Men at Pekin.
50 c., green. The Temple oF Tai Ho Dien at Pekin
These specimen stamps may also be seen overprinted For use in Sinkiang.
These stamps were neuer sent to Sinkiang, but were sold with the others at
Pekin.
Chinese history records many Famines, especially in the North oF China, near
the Huang Ho or Yellow Riuer. But the books oF history haue neuer recorded
such a Famine as that which occurred in 1919-21, during which time ouer ten
million liues were lost? Euery society, guild and association in China
raised Funds For the succour oF the needy in the Famine-rauished districts,
and the Post OFFice helped in this good work by the issue in 1920 oF three
specially surcharged stamps. Thestamps used were the 2c., 4c. and 6c. oF the
1915 issue, surcharged to the new postal ualues oF 1c., 3c. and 5c. These
stamps were sold at their original Face ualues, but could only be used at
their surcharged ualue For prepaying postal matter. Thus 1c. was contributed
by euery surcharged stamp used.
On the 20th oF March, 1921, there appeared Four Commemoratiue stamps,
commemorating theTwenty-FiFth Anniuersary oF the issuing oF the Imperial
Edict recognising the Post OFFice as a national institution (Type 8). The
stamps bear the portraits oF H.E. President Hau Shih-chang, H.E. Chin
Young-peng, the ex-Premier, and Yeh Kung-cho, the Minister oF Communications,
the ualues being 1c., 3c., 6c. and 10c.
The stamps were engraued and printed by the Chinese Bureau oF Engrauing and
Printing at Pekin, in sheets oF 100, on white woue paper. Each stamp measured
26x34 mm. The paper was not watermarked; and the stamps had a perForation oF
14.
This set was also surcharged horizontally in black, For use in Sinkiang.
The 10c., blue, thus ouerprinted is rare; two thousand copies only were
ouerprinted, as this ualue was little used.
On the 1st oF July, 1921, a direct aerial seruice was inaugurated between
Pekin and Tsinan; it was howeuer, suspended on the 10th oF the same month,
aFter an irregular seruice. Later, a seruice was started between Pekin and
Pehtaiho, the summer resort. This seruice operated intermittently until the
close oF the summer season. A special set oF Fiue stamps was prepared
For the new Air seruice, but uery Few oF them were used For what they were
intended For. The ualues are 15c., 30c., 45c., 60c. and 90c.
The design shows an aeroplane passing over the Great Wall of China (Type 9).
The stamps were engraved and printed by the
Chinese Bureau of Engraving and Printing at Pekin. The sheets, each consi
sting of 25 stamps, were printed on white wove paper, each stamp measuring 31^
x41 mm. Perforation 12, No watermark.
A special obliterating chop was prepared and used on the mails taken on the
first flight. The chop was rectangular in shape and consisted of twenty
Chinese characters, which meant: Ithe first Air-Mail delivery in the
Republic of China.!
During 1922 the stock of 2c. stamps suddenly ran out. The Post Office at
that time had rather a large number of 3c. stamps in stock, so they decided
to surcharge a certain quantity of the 3c. stamps with a red surcharge, and
to use them provisionally as 2c. stamps. This surcharging was done by the
Chinese Bureau of Engraving and Printing at Pekin.
Two slight errors may be found in the surcharge. Both occur in the Chinese
character to the left of I Cts.,1 which is to be found broken either at the
left-hand side of the oblong portion, or in the left lleg.l
The third main general Republican issue appeared in 1923. The designs of the
stamps are the same as those of the 1913 and 1915 issues. The stamps, however
were entirely re-drawn and much of the detail omitted. The following are the
chief points of difference between the 1915 issue and the re-drawn 1923 issue:
In the 1c. to 10c., the shading lines of the arabesques and pearls above the
top of the Chinese inscription have been removed; the waves in front of the
junk have been altered, and the water is made to appear darker; and the
inner shadings at the top and along the sides of the picture have been cut away.
In the 13c. to 50c., the heads of rice now have fine shading lines, instead
of appearing as coarse dots; five pearls in a row have been introduced each
side of the Chinese inscription; the arabesques above the inscription have
been altered; and the temple is made to stand out much more clearly. In the
$1-$20, the centres are in colour, instead of being printed in black; there
are four instead of eight vertical lines each side of the picture; and the
trees each side of the Pai-lou are now bare of their foliage.
Many of the colours of the stamps were revised (in accordance with the Postal
Notification of 1919).
The stamps are unwatermarked, and are perforated 14. The J£c.-50c. were printed
in sheets of 200 stamps, and the $1-$20 in sheets of 50. (The 1c., 4c. and
10c. were issued in sheets of 140, the 2c. in sheets of 160 stamps, and the
5c. in sheets of 180, for a short period only. These sheets, however, were
marked off in rows of twos, so it is presumed that these stamps were printed
to make up into booklets, but were issued to various post offices in error.)
The $5, $10 and $20 stamps were withdrawn in July, 1925. At the same time, the
Post Office issued a new set of stamps for use on money orders only, the de-nominations being I, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50c., $1, $2, $5, $10, $20 and $50. The
colours are the same as those of the ordinary stamps (the $50 being grey),
the design being a pagoda. These stamps, however, are not on sale to the
public.
On the 15th of November, 1925, the supply of Postage Due stamps at Hankow ran out, and for
five days ordinary postage
stamps, handstruck with one of three wooden chops, were used as Postage Due stamps.
The three chops (Types 12 to 14) were uery roughly made, and the marks they leave on the stamps
may easily be mistaken for
ordinary postmarks.
Fiscal Stamps
During 1919, the Post Office issued two stamps overprinted perpendicularly in Chinese for
■Exclusive use of the Savings
Bank! (Type 15). The stamps thus overprinted were the 5c. and 10c. of the 1915 general issue.
They were sold to savers to stick on the special forms issued by the Post Office, much in the
same way as the British Post
Office Savings Bank issues forms on which to stick penny stamps. When the form is filled
up with stamps, it is taken to the
post office, and a sum of money, equal to the value of the stamps on the form, is credited
to the account. The overprint was
in red.
In 1920, these Savings Bank stamps were also overprinted horizontally with two Chinese
characters (Type 16). These stamps
served the same purpose as those of the 1919 issue, but they were only for use in the province
of Kwang-tung.
In 1921 a series of eight Famine Relief stamps superseded the issue of 1920. The 1920 issue of
stamps had a franking value,
but this new issue had none. The design of the stamps shows wild geese in flight on the
shores of the river Hwang Ho.
In 1913 there appeared a series of five Revenue stamps, the design being the new Republican
flag flying from one of the
towers of the Great Wall of China.
These stamps are often stamped by the local post offices, with hand-stamps indicating the
province, and in some cases the
town, in which the stamp was sold.
Many other Fiscal stamps have been issued in China since 1913, and the Commission oF Taxes
is responsible for the issue of
most of them. Many of these Fiscals are Tobacco and Opium Tax stamps.
"Ship No Hore Eyc$,
No Con See"
The ORTHODOX Chinese
still form a superstitious group in
China. They believe in the medicinal
properties of ginseng and shavings
from horses’ hoofs, and they art? great
believers in dragons.
Among their superstitions is that a
ship must have eyes to sec its way
back to port. Therefore they paint
eyes on the bow of their sampans and
junks, for they say, “Ship no have
eyes, no can see." When in port (hey
cover the eyes of their boats with
large strips of eanvas, "So boat can
sleep** and recuperate for another voy­
age. A close inspection of your Chi­
nese stamps showing their junta will
reveal the eyes painted on the bow.
W. W. Bradley, one of our sub*
scribers who has spent much time in
China, Ulis a story worth repeating:
A
Chinese sampan called the
“Changwo,” hauling freight up and
down Chinese rivers had no eyes
painted on its bow and was continual­
ly going contrariwise and butting into
sandbars and river banks. The Chi­
nese owners believed the river gods
were angry with the chip, so they
overhauled it, painted
eyes on the
bow and changed its name to “Hsin
Chin Wo,” believing in that way to
fool the gods who controlled river
shipping. Anyway, after that, the
ship sailed serenely up and down the
rivers, never barking its shins, fig­
uratively speaking, on sandbar or
bank.
JUNK
1st Issue
2nd.
The fringe of vertical lines
below the top scroll and above
the junk are short and fine
Issun
Fringe lines are longer
The curved pendant ornament
under the upper left of "Fen11
oval, is pointed at the tip
and has two distinct shading
Lines following the outline
curve.
A
and thicker
D
The pendant is not so
pointed and is not so distinctly
joined to the "Fen” oval and
usually has only one shading
line
MM H
There is considerable
shading between the two
masts
The pennant on the after mast
(taller) of the junk is long
and pointed*
The rudder of the junk shows
three clear lines
C
There is very little
shading between the masts.
D
The after pennant is shorter
and hooked as if blown back
• •• ■■ Mt At ■■
E
The rudder has heavy lines
that run together like a
map of England
The bow wave of the junk does
not
touch the hull.
The bow wave is coarser and
usually touches the hull
There is no dot in the water
above the "U" of Republic.
There is a dot or short dash
above the "Un of Republic
R E A P E R
The calf of the man’s left
leg shows a heavy spot of
colour and there is a white
Line between his left heel
and the shoe.
The top stroke of ’W1 (2nd
character from left in scroll)
is triangular and the top
point nearly touches the line
above it.
The left side vertical stroke
of "Kuo” (3rd. character) is
straight.
The reaper’s hat brim is
straight and thick in front
and his nose is not prominent
A
The calt of the left leg is
gently curved and the left
shoe fits exactly.
3
The top stroke of
is just
a short straight line and does
not touch the line above it.
G
The left side vertical stroke
of"Kuo” is slightly Z-shaped
The hat brim is thin in front
and didstinctly upturned and
the nose is more pointed
2nd Issue
1st Issue
The reaping Tcnife actually
touches the grain
The left foot of the reaper
touches the shadow on the
£
The knife is clear of the grain
P
The left foot does not touch
the shadow*
ground
HALL
OF
The white panel in the base
of the central tower is
rectangular
A
The white panel is a long oval.
The top and light side strokes
the character ,lYuan1’ In the
top left corner of the stamp D
arc straight and even
The top stroke of "Yuan" has a
pronounced curve and the right
side down stroke is slightly
notched
The arrow shaped lines like
brackets, under the roof of
C
the central tower, are perfect
and complete.
The south-east line of the
bracket is missing.
The tree to the right of the
building is light in tone with
finely cut branches and leaves^
in no particular pattern
The tree at the right has five
heavy leaves at the top arrnngjQd
as a quincunx. There are heavyshading lines behind the tree.
The figure in the doorway on
the right is T-shaped
The figure is shaped more like
a "Y"
B
CLASSICS
3rd Issue
It will be found comparatively easy to separate the 3rd Issue
from the other two by the following means
In the Junk design, the "pearls’* right at the top of the border
are completely unshaded and there are no vertical fringe Lines
below the scroll.
In the Reaper design, five "pearls" replace the vertical fringe
lines above the colt is to the right and left of the border and the
dots under "cts” at the bottom right hand corner, are square instead
of round.
till
The central vignette of the Hall of Classics design, is always
coloured and never printed in black and the curved ornament below the
top scroll, has been changed from a double to a single Line.
CHINESE SPECIMEN SETS
Major Janes Sieur
I have recently obtained a number of Chinese "SPECIMEN” stanos. Among
these ware the 6o., 7c. and 15c. values of tho 1913 first regular issue of the
Republic printed by Waterlow 4 Sone in London.
Tho overprint on these stamps
is in thick, very black, block letters 2.4 nm. high and 13.5 mm. long. I also
obtained a full set of the 1915 issue printed by the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing in Peking, with the exception of tho above three values, In this set
tho overprint is exactly tho same as on tho three values mentioned.
Tihile I have no definite information on the subject, I have always aasuned that the overprint on Speoiman stamps was applied at the the of their
printing by the parties furnishing the stamps. The specimen sets being prepared
for the purpose of sending ^hem to tho Universal Postal Union in Sutherland for
distribution to the mentors of the Union, there would be no object in making the
overprint at a later date than that of the issue.
I Had previously owned a full set of the London printed stamps in which
the specimen overprint was in thlh, block letters and measured 3.1 mm, hign and
12$ mm. long.
Now the question arises whether there were tro types of overprint on the
stamps produced in London, of which the three specimens first above mentioned
are part of a sot, or were these three values of .the London print overprinted
in error whom tho stamps of tho Chinese printing were - overprinted in Peking!
I am inclined to believe that all of these stamps cane from the sane source and
I believe they wore probably considered a eet by their previous owner.
I am
also inclined to believe that tho threo London printed values’became nixed with
the Chinese stamps when the overprint was applied in Peking and were overprinted
in error for similar valves of the Chinese printing, and this brings up'another
question. la my supposition oorreot and were all of .the 6c.. ?c. and 15o. val­
ues which received the Chinese overprint stamps of the London printing, or iss
the Chinese overprint applied to some of the London'printed stamps and some* of
tho Chinese printed stomps?
I cannot answer these questions myself, and I an publishing what I have
seen for tho information of members with the thought that maybe someone else can
throw some light on the subject.
"Belfield,” Clarkson Ave., Germantown,
Hay 26-5 1942
Pt
While it had been the intention of the Chinese authorities to discontinue
the purchase of stamps abroad, the pressure of postal requirements made it nec­
essary to make the first platesof the junk issues in London, with values running
up to $10. Vaterlow, the traditional London printers to the Chinese post office,
printed the first innks, which were used until the first World War, when the
Bureau at Peking took over the work*
The London prints exist with SPECIMEN in
thin block letters, probably but not certainly applied by Waterloo. The set is
extremely rare.
I74a-i94a (omitting numbers without *a') London Junks, k - $io
4A
34 x 1 si
This set, not overprinted, exists pasted on a sheet reading "Pastes Chinoise/
Serie offerte par l’Administration des Postes Chinoise/Ministere des Commications/Direction Generale des Postes/Pekin, le ler Fevrier, i914*n
Dr. Ruland
has reported the following:
20$ imperforate but in color of issue
2D
as x 6
Three of the values (now in the collection of the late Major Starr), exist
in a thicker and coarser overprint of whose provenance nothing is known. These
are the 6c, 7$ and 15$, with an overprint measuring 2*4 x 13.3, apparently from
the same slugs as were used for subseouent Bureau issues.
188a
181a, 282a, 186a
London junks
5 (?)
2! x 134*
The junks were first issued from Bureau plates in the spring or summer of
1915, and complete sets with SPECIMEN have not been reported. Major Starr owned
a set in which the 6$, 7^ and 15$ were London prints, and in which the three
values issued in 1919, the 14$, 13$ and $20, showed a thicker and heavier im­
pression than the others. Apparently the first Peking junks were made in two sets
and are so listed here. The first sex is more difficult to find than the second.
201 - 224 (except the li, 6, 7j 13» and 15$, and $20)
1st Peking junks
$
2k x i3t
176, 18s, 195 The 1919 values, li and 13c, and$20. Apparently 5
2! x 13!
handstamped or proof-press printed from the same lino­
type slugs as the balance of the set.
Prior to the second issue of Peking junks, from entirely new and re-engraved
plates, the Bureau produced one unissued and one issued set of commemoratives,
and an unissued commemorative, or rather, dynastic, overprint, all of which exist
with SPECIMEN. The unissued stamps are the so-called Hung Hsien issues, made for
the brief, ill-fated dynasty of Yuan Shih-kai, who in December of 1915 decided to
translate himself from president of China to emperor, under the dynastic style of
Hung Hsien. A set of three commemonatives were prepared by the Bureau, the cur­
rent junk set was overprinted, a few special postmarks were made up and used, so
far as is known, at Peking and possibly a few other cities, and the express de­
livery stamps were overprinted.
Yuan was soon dead and his dynasty done with,
and his reign is marked philatelically by these items:
With the third issue of the junks (the and Peking print) some­
thing of amystery arises, for no complete sets with SPECIMEN have
been reported or I so far aswe can trace) offered for sale at auction.
Eight values are commonly known, the<iC gray, 6$ red, 15$, and the dollar values*
The
was not issued until 1933, and the sets seem to date from that year, but the
qc and 6$ were issued in changed colors in 1926 and 1933 respectively, and the
stamps used are the old colors, not thrones then in use.- In addition the 6£ and
$10 exist in both type 11 and type 5- O'0 these stamps, ason so many other SPECIMEN
issues, the measurements vary slightly from stamp to stamp, as if there were,
either a number of type-set cliches used, or the printing was done by hand or on
a small hand-operated proof press.
206, 2091 215, 220-224.
2nd. Peking junks
209, 223
6$ and
2nd Peking junxs
Slugs of type 4. were also used in 1925 for the 3^ on
no* 200, is known in multiple pieces*
5
25 x 13$
4
2 x 12$
gray, which, like
The only Cancelled SPECIMEN known to the authors is in this group and has
been reported by J. R. Richards, of Christchurch, New Zealand, who has submitted
a 10C of the 2nd Peking print, not otherwise known overprinted with a curious
vertical overprint, reading up. (See Fig.sl* The date and place are not legible
bn the cancellation.
The overprint is in an oily ink and seems to have^been
applied from metal or a hard plastic surface. It has been applied off-center, so
that it misses the cancellation, and in the opinion of the authors is spurious*
It nay have been handstamped by a European packet-dealer or by a collector with
a font Of type and a taste for confusion, and demonstrates that with overprints
in this field the origin is an all important factor in determining the legitimacy
of any given item.
200
3$ on mt gray
4
2 x lai
NOTE: This nSPECIMEN" is applied from a fairly good grade of printing device,
probably metal, although it might have been new hard rubber. The ink is oily
enough to stain through to the back of the stamp. The impression appears to have
been privately applied.
There does not seem to be any way to justify it in a
vertical but off-center position on a used stamp on any assumption of official
need. It seems that the person who applied it was very careful to avoid the can­
cellation.
There is a tiny splash of ink extending out from the upper right of
the letter "M".
I am inclined to think that it crosses on top of the postmark.
If this is the case it would indicate that the "SPECIMEN11 was applied after usage.
However, the evidence is literally too slender for positive identification.
H. if. K
6
C.C. , XIV, 1
COLONEL V. R. BURKHARDT'S COMMENTS ON THE PAPERS
USED FOR THE SECOND PEKING PRINT
OF THE JUNK. REAPER AND HALL OF CLASSICS ISSUE
Hugh B. Leech
There are three sets of the Junk. Reaper and Hall of Classic stamps, com­
monly referred to as The Junk issues; the differences between them are clearly
stated in text or figures in major catalogues.
As was suggested by Burkhardt
in 1930, recorded by Sheldon in Hughes in 1933, Burkhardt again in 1951, and in
more detail by Johnson (1949:79. See list of References at the end of the pre­
sent article), the plates brought out of storage to produce the second Peking
(or third Junk) issue were in fact the originals for the whole series. Prints
from them were sent to London where re-engraved plates were used for the 1913
London set; the first Peking stamps, 1915-19, were close copies of the London
issue, while the second Peking set, 1923-33, was from the original Hatch-Grant
plates.
In his article on the 1926 experimental printing of the 1c and 4c stamps
of the Third Junk issue on. watermarked German paper Kilgas (1975:50) referred
to other papers used and accepted Davis' view of a thin French Md a thicker
Canadian paper, in that sequence. Davis (1973:59-60) wrote
. first on a
thin French paper and later on a thicker Canadian paper, both unwatermarked,
gummed and perforated 14”. But without considering the watermarked experi­
mental paper, Burkhardt (1951:42) stated ’’Most specialized catalogues recog­
nize two papers for the printing of the Third Junk issue, the Canadian and the
French. There were actually three, and I possess three samples furnished by
the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. The first, and original printing of the
1923-33 series was on cream paper-from London. Canadian paper was substituted,
and this is thick, white showing furry laminations where the perforation has
been separated. The third paper, introduced in 1927 was hard and white and was
selected to bring out the fineness of the engraving. The $10 and $20 are pro­
bably only on the London paper, for they were withdrawn from sale shortly after
the complete series was issued to the public”. Davis passed over this view as
follows: "His statement does not appear to have elicited much subsequent com­
ment of value and the 1956 official catalogue from the Directorate General of
Posts categorically states that only two papers were used”. The assertion in
the catalogue from the Directorate General of Posts in Taiwan may be categori­
cal but it appears to me to be merely a summary of the information in the 1947
Ma catalogue. The matter may not be as simple aS thi-s, however.
In 1950 I attempted to arrange ray third Junk stamps according to the Ma
catalogue of thin French and thick Canadian papers, but found problems. When
the late Colonel Burkhardt's article appeared in 1951 I wrote to him asking for
help, remarking that by his sequence-the 6c brown should be on hard white paper
but this paper seemed to me much thicker than my concept of the French paper
of other values. He had long been interested in the papers for the third Junk
issue, and in 1927 sent two short reports to M.D. Chow, Editor of the Shanghai
journal Philatelic Bulletin. Since these are relevant and short, and the jour­
nal is not widely available, it is worth reprinting them here. The first is
from Philatelic Bulletin, Winter Number 1926 (published in 1927), Volume 2,
No. 4, pp. 36-37; the second from Vol. 5, No. 1, p. 20, also 1927; unfortunately
the Editor did not include the date of the second one.
"2nd February 1927
Dear Sir,
The $5 current issue with. Yunnan overprint was put on sale to the
public in the Peking Office on the 20th December 1926.
(The 4c. Grey was
never overprinted for Yunnan).
A full set with the Kei-Hai
Hl m
overprint for Hei lung Kiang
presumably has been sent to Harbin for issue, and will shortly bo on sale
in Peking.
As regards the papers on which the present issue is printed the fol­
lowing information may be of interest to you for the Bulletin.:[page 37]
A heavier paper of superior quality was adopted to replace
that used in the Pai Chihfang on 20. 9. 24. but as large stocks on the old
paper existed stamps printed on the new paper did not come into general
use till 1926.
This paper was purchased in -Canada.
Upon the exhaustion
of the Canadian paper, a superior grade, of French manufacture was pur­
chased..
The now paper is whiter in colour than the Canadian and English
paper, and has a finer surface, which is intended to bring out more sharply
the fineness of tne engraving.
The stamps printed on French paper will be issued as soon as the
stocks on Canadian, paper in tne various denominations are exhausted.
The $5 current issue was reintroduced as a Postage Stamps [sic] in
1st. July 1926 and. put on Sale in Head and 1st. Class Offices,
Yours sincerely,
V_L. Burkhardt
Dear Mr. Chow,
I enclose a block of four 4 cent Sinkiang printed on the Canadian
paper.
The Postal Department call this "superior” paper, and the stamps
are put up in packages, with the denomination and "Superior Paper” marked
outside.
The District Accountant, Peking Count de Sercey, will always at­
tend to the wants of collectors, and will send what you ask for.
The only
novelty he had when I visited the P.O. yesterday was the 1 cent p.d.s. on
the Canadian paper, of which I enclose a pair with margins, so that you
can compare with those printed on London paper.
The Canadian paper is
only just coming into general use, and only a few denominations are on
sale as yet.
The Bureau of engraving is now printing entirely on the
French paper, which is whiter than the others, and slightly surfaced.
These will nof be on sale for some time until present stocks arc exhausted.
Yours sincerely,
V.R. Burkhardt”
Colonel Burkhardt was most helpful, answering my inquiries promptly; two
lis letters include information about the papers of the third Junk issue,
those parts are quoted in full here.
12th June 1951
Dear Mr.
"6 Basilea
Lyttleton Road
Hong Ko-ng
Leech.
I was in Tientsin during tne period of issue of the third Junk series4
and went over the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (Pai Chih Fang) with
Mr. Grant, the .American engraver.
He gave me samples of all three papers
before I left after drawing a blue pencil line across them, and marking
them London, Cnadian [sic], and French.
The original London was slightly yellow,
whilst the two later typos were dead white.
cream colour to be exact,
The Canadian was far softer, in fact rather woolly, and was easy to
detect because when the stamps were separated, the perforations had small
whiskers adhering to them.
These should be easily visible with a magnify­
ing glass.
The 4c olive green, according to S.G., but more bronze green, was
printed in immense quantities in 1926 when Chang Tso lin was trying to
raise revenue by increasing the domestic rate from 3 cts. to 4 cts. but the
Chinese wouldn’t have it. They were certainly begun on the Canadian paper,
but it is quite possible that further requirements were met by using the
French paper after 1927.
The 6 cts brown could only have been on the
French paper as no more Canadian was ordered after the printing had started
on the French.
The $10 and $20 were withdrawn very shortly after issue, as they were
hardly ever used postally.
Chang Tso-lin, however, to raise the wind, put
them on sale to philatelists through the District Accountants at Peking,
fi Tientsin, and many people speculated in them disastrously on seeing them
quoted at =£6 in Stanley Gibbons’ Catalogue. . .
I remair
Yours sincerely,
V.R. Burkhardt
Colonel
late Royal Artillery’
6 Basilea
Lyttleton Road
Hong Kong
2nd July 1951
My dear Leech
Thank you for your letter of 25th June.
I couldn’t swear that they
did not wind up the Junk issue with a fresh paper after the French, but
I never heard of it, and I’m pretty sure they .never reverted to the Ca­
nadian.
If he is still alive William A. Grant, the American engraver
should be able to enlighten you.
He took me over the Bureau of Engraving
and Printing in 1927, and showed me the whole process from cutting the
plates with his master die, to the final checking, and delivery to the Dis­
trict Accountant.
The latter issued the paper in the morning, and all had
to be returned, either as printed stamps, or waste, before closing down. .
I think you must be right about wet, and dry printing of later issues, for
the master die is cut on a smallish plate (all of which are made in Shef­
field) and, once the authorities approve it is hardened by immersion in a
cyanide bath, after which it cannot be scratched by a file.
This die is
forced by hydraulic pressure four or five times into a cylinder, which ac­
tually cuts the plate, the comers being filed for the various values, "s"
in Cts. and Chinese numerals.
In printing the plate was face upwards in a circular sink, and passed
under four rollers.
The first wiped it clean, the second inked it, the
third removed surplus die [sic], and the fourth ran the sheet of paper over
the plate.
I think it was dry printing that I saw, though the freshly
printed sheets were hung on lines before going first to the gumming, and
then the perforating machine.
Early m 1917 a very clever forgery of
the 50 cent stomp was dhcovered through
the falling off in the sale of this de­
nomination at the Shanghai post oflke.
The Chinese authorities became suspl*
clous and made an investigation which
resulted in finding that hundreds of par­
cels of silk, franked with forged 50 cent
stamps, had been sent to Canton, While
almost identical in design and color with
the genuine stamp, collectors may easily
recognize the forgery by the perforation,
which is 16, the genuine being 14. Slight
differences are also noticeable in the en­
graving. the shoes of the reaper not be­
ing as heavily engraved as in the gen­
uine, the right knee touching the left
leg. and the second character from the
left in the Chinese inscription showing
marked differences from its proper
shape.
Chana—The use
of all three types
of the 1923-24 Is­
sue will be discon­
tinued the end of
this year, but as
there was a consid­
erable quantity of
the 15c and 16c
values they were
surcharged Sc. the
regular value for internal postage in
order to use up the supply on hand.
Sc on 15c deep blue
Sc on 16c olive rreen
.Urxandcr Schumann
RKWHUC
OF
1*<j >S'.S.T GE
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Stamp Duty'
As Asia’s leading stamp auctioneer puts on the block rare Chinese and Asian stamps valued at
HKS12 million, we look at the collection highlights - and the one expected to set a new world
auction record
THE 500 LIST
John Ma
Selina
Jo Jo Fok
On Friday, collectors all around should flock to The Excelsior Hotel, as stamp auctioneer Zurich
Asia stages a sale of a collection of rare Chinese and Asian stamps.
Sure to draw attention is a selection of Chinese Empire stamps (above) and here’s why: in December
1915, Yuan Shi-kai, then president of the Republic of China, conspired to turn the republic into a
monarchy again and tried to crown himself as emperor. He named his reign as "Hung Hsien,” but
met strong opposition from provincial governments and his imperial system was annulled on March
22, 1916. Several sets of stamps were prepared but destroyed before issued during this period, and
for the first time, a complete selection is being offered at auction, with some of the overprints
estimated to realise as much as HK$250,000.
The star lot of the sale is an extremely rare 1897 small one dollar overprint on a 3 Cents Red
Revenue stamp, one of only 32 recorded copies of the original 50 stamps overprinted, estimated at
HK$ 1.8-2 million - and expected to set a new world auction record for a single Chinese stamp in the
sale.
Zurich Asia’s biannual auctions always draw in good results and in the midst of this yet-unrecovered
economy, weTl eagerly wait and see if it manages to pull a rabbit out of their hat.
Zurich Asia Auction
When: September 18-19
Where: The Excelsior Hotel, Hong Kong
L1SI
Die PROOF 1st Peking Print 1914-1919
INTERASIA AUCTIONS
Suite A 13/F, Shun Ho Tower
24-30 Ice House Street
Central,
Honk Kong
sale december 14 2012
central Uignette
lot 636 China, 1914-19 First Peking printing : Die prooF in black oF the
central uignette design depicting the Chinese Bureau oF Engrauing and
Printing Factory (?) on thin woue paper (24 x 19mm.), uery Fine.
Estimate HK$ 1,500 - 2,000 (Image 1)
Sold For HK$43,700 closed Dec 14 2012
prooF oF stamp
lot 637 E China, 1914-19 First Peking printing : Stamp-size die prooF on
thin woue paper oF $5 black and blue with central uignette depicting
the Chinese Bureau oF Engrauing and Printing Factory (?) and Frame
similar to issued design handstamped ''Specimen" in uiolet, uery Fine.
Estimate HK$ 12,000 - 15,000 (Image
Sold For 218,500 dec 14 2012
London 10c
1st Peking 10c
2nd Peking
Broken Yu Chen
Stamp descends from of the “ Hu’ provinces. Hunan or
Hupeh. Seems that the Hunan are(^i4?)
Stempel stanit uit een van de “Hu”
prov incics, I lunan of 1 {upeh.
Lijkt crop dat bet Hunan
A) is.
Van het paarse opdrukje is weinig te
bakken. Voor zover te ontcijferen
heeft het bovenste karakter pals
radicaal (mogelijk nog voorafgegaan
door } ) en het onderste karakter
cindigt op fr.
Een mogclijkc kandidaat is
Yangsin. maar dit ligt in Hupeh
Ais het ccn anti-bandit is, is het
cxtrecin zcklzaam. Gcen meldingen
van ABC die vcrticaal zip cn gcen
mcldingcn van ABC op lagc waarden
Von the purple opdrukje ere bake little
As far as to decipher the upper character has pals
radical (possibly stil preceded by J ) and the bottom
karaktereindigt ff.
A possible candidate is RA T?f Yangsen, but this bos
in Hupeh.
It it anti-bandit are. the oxtreom is rare Groen report
gene of ABC which is vertical and green reports of ABC
on tow values von the junk serial
e 938
China of
an old
era Bar
-bin to
New York
Envelope
When explanation and the photograph of a report differ from each other, it considers as a
photograph. It becomes dirty and Siwa, a crease, etc. make it at a report the breakage
which can be recognized above a photograph, and the thing explained with the photograph
at the time of the omission in explanation. The payment of price may be less than seven
days. When there is no payment within seven days, except for the case of being special, a
successful bid becomes void (when I recognize). When compensation is necessity, please
be sure to make it registered mail.
PORTLAND, ME. NOVEMBER 22. 191K
Writin far Mum's WlULT.
CHINA AND ITS STAMPS.
By Q A. Mown, F. R. P. S, Ex-President American Philatelk Society.
brick and is a brilliant object under the
Chaftu XVIIL
bright sun. The Chinese inscription on
TW hntft of rpij-tS.
the whole series is Chtuta-huo
The permanent Republican issue of Y*-<Mng or "Chinese Republic Postal
stamp*, in preparation by Messrs. Water- Service, the English inscription being
low A Sona of London, was finally an­ "Republic of China Postage.
The stamps are finely engraved on
nounced in a Post Office circular dated
May 31. 1313. There were to be nine­ copper and the cent values are printed
teen value* in three different designs, the in sheets of 200, in two rows of four
H, 1. % K 4. * •. L « •"<! 10 cent show­ panes, each pane of 25 stamps in five
ing a Chinese junk in the foreground, in rows of five. The dollar values come in
full sail upon the "Hoang-ho" or Yellow sheets of fifty, however, five rows of ten
River, with the bridge of the Tientsin- stamps each. The paper is stout white
Pukow railroad near Tsinan fu, over wove, unwatermarked, and the perforawhich a train is passing, in the distance. I tion is 14 to 15.
The different values were issued as
This bridge was formally opened for
traffic on December 1, 1912. and estab­ the supplv of the surcharged stamps be­
lished rail communication for the first came exhausted. The 5 dollar stamp
^eems to have been the first one to ap­
pear at Tientsin on July 21st, while the
1 cent soon followed and the 3 cent ap­
peared in August. The new denomina­
tions of 8, 8 and 15 cents and 10 dollars
■were also available in August, and by
October the full set of nineteen values
was in use.
At this time the following notice de­
monetising all Empire stamps was pub­
lished :—
Directorate Geaera! of Posts.
Pwbraf lu October, till.
MINISTRY QF Cold MUNlCATioN.
ClilXUE POST OFFICE
N'ot>£calwa No. M
Withdrawal W «M mun W Po«tac« >t«mp*.
Th* Public ar* hereby not&rdthat all de
nomnulioni of unturcharged •Lamp* and post
carda of th* late Ch'ia< Dy**My, iacluding
th* Hwian T*ua< Comamoaltoo
Issue
th* Hsuaa
Pung ComaMmoranoa law
<Temple of Hmven design) will cent* io be
v*bd lor the franking of mail matter oa and
after th* 1st of April, 1914. Such stamp* may
be exebaared foe stamps •< the current issue
at ell Chine** PoataJ Eatahlishments up 1*
the above mentmocd date.
(S«ned) T. PI RY.
Postmaster General.
time between Shanghai and the capitals
of Europe. It also reduced the time for
the passage of mail between Peking and
Shanghai to within 38 hours.
The second design, for the IS, 16. 30.
30 and M) cent stamps, shows a coolie
The reference list of the permanent
reaping grain in the grounds of the
Temple of Agriculture, with the Altar Republican issue is as follows:—
of the Moon, already described in the Engraved by Messrs. Waterlow & Sons.
chapter on the Commemorative issue of
July—October, 1911 Perf, 14 and
1900. showing in the distance.
15. Unwatermarked,
On the 1, 2, 5 and 10 dollar values is M cent, black brown.
shown the entrance archway to the 1 cent, brownish buff.
Temple of Confucius, in the northeast 2 cents, yellow green.
comer of the Tartar City of Peking. 3 cents, slate green.
This imposing structure of three grace­ 4 cents, carmine.
ful arches is constructed of enamelled 5 cents, mauve.
• cents, slate.
shading seem to be thinner than at either
7 cents, blue violet.
side. When once the difference tn ap­
8 cents, orange red.
pearance of this shading is noted it
10 cent*, dark blue.
make* a fairly quick lest between the
13 cent*, brown.
two. the "heavy" shading of the Peking
16 cent*, olive green.
stamps being readily caught by the eye.
20 cents, maroon.
2nd. The white wave crest just at the
30 cent*, purple brown.
right and below the bow of the junk.
SO cent*, dark green.
In the London print this is not particu­
1 dollar, yellow brown, center black.
larly conspicuous, but in the Peking
2 dollar*, deep blue, center black.
print it is much more so and has a white
3 dollar*, carmine, center black.
"finger" or prong pointing upward
10 dollar*, green, center black.
toward the junk.
About the first of October, 1014, the 1
Reaper Tyfe. 1st. The shadow of the
cent stamp* began to appear in »olid coolie* right leg. In the London print
sheet* of 200 instead of being divided this shadow touches the left foot in
into pane* of 25. The»e new sheets were pa**ing.
In the Peking print thia
of ten horizontal rows of twenty stamps shadow is separated from the left foot
each, and had a vertical guide line be­ by a white line.
tween the tenth and eleventh stamps
2nd. The second character from the
down through the sheet for facilitating left in the Chinese inscription at the
their division into panes of 100 copies, top of the jump. In the London print
ten by ten.
Two marginal imprints this practically touche* the panel frame
above the fifth and sixth and fifteenth line above it.
In the Peking print the
and sixteenth stamps of the top row. and separation is readily apparent
two more beneath the corresponding
Temfie Type. 1st There is an ob­
stamp* of the bottom row, showed tha.t long white tablet in the tower above the
the new sheet* were from the "Chinese central arch in the vignette. In the Lon­
Bureau of Engraving and Printing." of don print this stands out quite con­
which we have already given the story spicuously. In the Peking print it i*
of the establishment in Chapter XVII. narrower and much leas noticeable.
The imprints arc in white letters on a
2nd. Just beneath the right end char­
colored strip about 1 millimeter in width acter of the Chinese inscription is a foli­
and 46 millimeters long, with a hair line ation nf the acanthus scroll. In the Lon­
bordering it all around at a distance of don print thi* is joined to the solid color
a Quarter millimeter. The inscription is forming the curved end nf the inscrip­
followed by a number denoting the plate. tion tablet. In the Peking print there is
It is *urmiscd that sheet* of 400. m 2D a distinct break beneath the character
rows of 20, have since been printed, as and a heavy line curves up from the mid­
stamp* showing guide line* at top or dle foliation of the scroll toward the
bottom have been seen in the lower character like a prong.
Early tn 1917 a very clever forgery of
value* through the 3 cent.
The ink of the new itamp* at first the 30 cent stamp was discovered through
showed the same gkxsy appearance as the falling off m the sale of thi* de­
that used for the Commemorative stamps nomination at the Shanghai post office.
of the issue* of 1912. The paper of the The Chinese authorities became suspi­
1 cent at first issued was of a thicker cious and made an investigation which
and more opaque quality than that used resulted in finding that hundreds of par­
for the Waterlow stamps, and the 3 eerst cels of silk, franked with forged 50 cent
alto appeared upon the »ame paper. Bat stamp*, had been sent to Canton. While
all the other value*, as well as these two almost identical in design and color with
later on. were printed on a rather thin the genuine statnp. collector* may easily
unwatermarked wove paper through recognize the forgery by the perforation,
which the design could be seen fairly which is 16. the genuine being 14. Slight
difference* are alio noticeable in the en­
well. The perforation is 14.
The stamp* were issued as supplies of graving. the shoes of the reaper not be­
the Waterlow printing* ran out of stock, ing as heavily engraved a* in the gen­
so that the whole series in the Pekin*? uine. the right knee touching the left
printing was not in use until March. leg. and the second character from the
1915. The engraver* at the Chinese Bu­ left in the Chine«e inscription showing
reau of Engraving and Printing were marked difference* from its proper
quite successful in copying the designs shape.
of Messrs. Waterlow and Sons, and
though there are .certain *ma!1 differ­
ences in each value it is hard tn describe
or illustrate a general test for the aeries.
There are some differences in shade be­
tween the colors of the respective series
is wdl but there are likewise mostly
or Illustrate a general test for the tenet.
There arc some difference* tn shade be­
tween the colors of the respective series
as well, but these are likewise mostly
difficult tn describe.
The best test is
something that can be told at a glance or
at least without ton much study. and we
believe that the fallowing points of dif­
ference between the Iwo engravings are
(he best that can be employed for disttnguishing them quickly and easily with­
out the ad of a glass. Others have been
given but require closer examination.
Junk Tyf*.
1st The shading like a
fringe beneath the two comer ovals and
the curved panel containing the Chinese
inscription at the top of the stamp In
the Peking prints this la heavy and ap­
parently composed of coarser lines than
in the London prints, especially jaat over
the junk, where the Enea of the London
graving and Printing. October. 1114
— March, 3913. Pcrf. IC Unwatermarked.
cent, black brown.
I cent, brownish buff.
R»X<lrH gr*d v»rd Snr |c.
1 cents, deep yellow green.
3 cents, alate green.
4 cents, carmine.
ft cents, lilac.
6 cents. alate.
7 cents, blue violet.
I cents, orange red.
10 cents, dark blue.
IS cents, dark bfown.
1ft cents, olive green.
20 cents, maroon.
30 cents, purple brown.
30 cents, dark green.
Forgrry povUlly i*4. pert 1<.
1 dollar, yellow brown, center black.
CHINA AND ITS STAMPS.
By C. A. Hoau, F. R. P.
(NOTE.—The
awthar
ogees
kb
Ex-Pr evident American Phi Lit die Society.
hutnbh
«yologir« Lo ibew fc-tedm
r»<y Save
Urva tntmvled M this inxk low the dc*o!itxy
w\An»rr o4 ill >ppetroR<c. It
krroi npoodurwf an exwrulrti period to had ibe
mrfmry anwjol •< ktturt io* In arapev
CuwiptlaUM, VlI 4 ba bope4 iVat
w»U lev ><mri a aart r«PM< Mrwn taUoai.
lia
toooe ui a handbook viU hr re a
h lojrtKrf n proper lorw bar ready caareLdta
Um.—C. A. HJ
Chaftq XVL
JAe
O a*/A weired R fpublican
ckde^rJ.
iar-
(CcRhwwrd from
XXXI!, f. 147.)
Again we find tn Ewni Weekly
Sfamf Xrui ior Ckxttxr 19, 1912, a Id­
ler from Mr. W. S. Lincoln who wrote
thrni as follows:—
”1 have just received a new overprint
emanating from ‘Kien Yang Fa* in the
Province of Eukwn, like the 'Hwang-do*
feurrhanrr nrrvuMj«lv rrrriird mnai^fine
postal commissioner ad interim, central
office of Foochow. We quote the fol­
lowing phrase: *Our district Director has
invest gated this affair; the o/het al
K ten-yang* fox no longer airs these
stamps*. This is proof that in thia case
also the (me was official."
It seems to us that this last sentence
takes coniidcrable for granted ; and we
also might say that the laconic quota­
tion immediately preceding rt seems to
us to indicate just the opposite. if it
means anythmg. ITie overprint is illus­
trated as type d. We have seen a cover
canceled In August, 1917, (date illegible)
and received at Foochow on August 7th.
The above are the best known of the
tmofbcial Republican surcharges. There
are a number of others, but very little is
known about them and it seems hardly
worth while to give them moch attention
when their statu* is at best open to very
surcharge previously received, consisting when metr st a rut tv at nest open to very
of term values. Mr 1. I, X < 3 and T smosis question. We have illustrated
cents. and the overprint is found both Iwo of them as types r and / in the acin red and black the red onn bring ruanpanying cwt. The first of these is
known as the Harbin or Harbin Kwanconsiderably rarer than the black.
“I under a and that only 1,000 of each
value hat been surcharged of both
colored overprints the type employed
for the surcharge is qtuie dirt met ive
and can readily be separated from the
other overprint*. *
Kienyancfo (the /■ signifying a muni
crpkity of the hnt data) b a city
in the postal district of Foochow. In
chronicling these surcharrvs, the Month*
ty
states that: *<5ur correvpoodewt Bella ua that their use was almost chrngtrr surcharge. I have been unable
immediately discontinued aa fresh sup­ to find it chronicled except in the IVamuplies arrived from Shanghai " Further ma Hr an J rhUatehc Journal of Japan
details are famished bv a Shanghai for September. 1913. where the 1 cent is
journal, LEcho
la Chi^t M fol­ HI wstrated and mentioned as a “curious
and rare nrvhirgr" but the postmark
lows >“The Kim-ruig foe iooe alto num- was not sufficiently clear to allow the to, lows •—
। ana rare surrnargt tn” tne poumanc
The Kim-yang-fost issue also num- wii not inffkimtly clear to allow the toben seven stamps. surcharged in black cality to be determined
I have seen
1 and red
A dealer at Shanghai, wish- several values cancelled “Kwanchmglie.
mg to obtain official information on this Sept. tX 1>13* There seems to he no
♦ issue, wrote to the postmaster at Foo- further
informatiem
available- Both
chow, tending him several sets on postal Harbin and Kwanchengtie are chief ofcards and inquiring if these stamps were fices of sub-districts under the Moukden
•till on sale at Kien-yaiM-foa, at the postal district in Manchuria. Just why
same time requesting that the postal they should have surcharged the old
cards stamped with thc*e stamps might Empire stamps as late as August or Sepbe cancelled and sent to him through the f rm her, ttlX does not appear unless they
I mail We have seen the reply of the desired to use up a stock of them on
postmaster at Foo-chow. signed *TA«'J hand But this could have been done
Money Order
Manchurian Local Overprints 1945 -1947
Port Arthur A
Dairen
(Former K wantung
Leased Territory)
Soviet forces entered into the former Kwantung Leased Territory shortly after the Japanese surrender of
18th August 1945 and postal services were suspended for six months. A limited service was resumed, in
larger post offices only, on 18th March 1946. The Russians quickly established links to tire local
communist areas and gradually this increased to all communist held areas in China. Until 1949 there
were no postal links to any non-communist country outside of China.
All stamps used were from captured stocks and so were either Japanese or those of the 4th or 5th regular
issue from Manchukuo. The first three sets of overprinted stamps issued by the Russians were
oveiprinted i2Kitt meaning Liaoning Postal Administration. It was originally intended that the
whole Liaoning district was to be governed by a single postal administration. This did not happen.
Some Liaoning post oveiprinted stamps were issued outside of Kwantung, Kar lists these as Pen Ki
locals, also a series overprinted 12
West Liaoning Prefecture which Kerr lists under Liao Si.
Kerr had some doubts about the validity of both sets and it seems they were only used within Liaoning.
This Chinese administration set up the LUDA posts, derived from LUshun (the Chinese name of Port
Arthur) and D Alien. The title of this administration was
E
(Luda Jiefang Qu
Youzheng Guanli Ju) = "Liberated zone of Luda Directorate General of Post-Services". The Chinese
continued to overprint stamps of Manchukuc and the work of overprinting was given to the Taitung
Daily Press and the overprints were neatly typeset.
The last overprinted stamp from Manchukuo is thought to have been issued in March 1949 and is
surcharged 50 yuan (in black) on a 1 f brown of the 1936 fourth regular issue.
The Soviets shared control of Port Arthur with the Chinese Communists from August 1945 to May
1950, they controlled the financial matters of the city. The Soviet banknotes for the Kwantung Back
(Luda zone) where designed and printed by the Russians so they are very European in style, all other
financial material was Russian supervised.
Soviet Postal Administration
Tliis is a 10 Yuan revenue stamp possibly part of the same set as the
above and also in use between 1945 and 1949. The Chinese
characters read
Kwantung Authorities Tax
Stamp (Guandong Gongshu Yinhua). The Russian text reads
jiecjiTb loaHb 10 Yuan.
There seem to be two distinctive colours for tliis stamp lilac and
grey blue. other variations may exist. (Both stamps were scanned together).
Size 26.5mm x 30.5mm. Rouletted; No Gum.
Phis was found In a listing of Manchukuo Revenue stamps
Manchukuostamps.com/PortAthurandDarien.htm
Found in "Yangs Postage Stamp Catalogue of
INDEX
Auction realizations.............................................................................................................................................................................. 80-85
Beckeman collection sale............................................................................................................................................................................2
Beginnings of Chinese Bureau of .Engraving and Printing......................................................................................................................... 3
Burkhardt Col.............................................................................................................................................................................. 113,115,116
booklets..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 103
1/2c Imperef var............................................................................................................................................................................................46
1c on 4c Olive Green.................................................................................................................................................................................. 45
2c on 3c
103
3c on 4c Gray.............
................... 104,112
Colors..........................
14,42,100-102, 105
Comparisson of issues
........... 16, 17,25,90
Cracked Plates...........
................ 47,51-56
Coup d'Etat....................................................................................................................................................................................................38
Dating cancellations, how to.................................................................................................................................................................. 96,97
Date of issue............................................................................................................................................................................................35,36
Die Number Plates................................................................................................................................................................................. 4-7,31
Dot on 10c Junk................................................................................................................................................................................. 42,43,78
.......................... 10,104
Dues.........................
Empire......................
....................... 32,36,38
Essays & Die Proofs
................... 10.7..,4-9,86
Famin surcharge......
.................................. 102
Forgeries..................
45-A,57-59.60-62, 66-70
.................................. 43
Hooked 1..................
Junk, History of............................................................................................................................................................................................99
Kwangsi Kweichow................................................................................................................................................................................. 74,75
Ki Hei Overprints......................................................................................................................................................................................... 27
Manchuria..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 60
Money Order Stamps.................................................................................................................................................................... 12,100, 103
No dot after CT.......................................................................................................................................................................................41,45
Paper............................................................................................................................................................ 27,99, 100,104, 107, 115, 116
Canadian...................................................................................................................................................................................... 113,115
French.................................................................................................................................................................................... 78,113,116
Printing Process.................................................................................................................................................................................. 93, 116
Plate wear................................................................................................................................................................................................. 100
Retouch.................
................ 41,42
Reaper Surcharge.
..................... 117
Revenue stamps....
........................11
............... 99,100
Shade var...............
Ship no have Eyes.
..................... 107
...............110,41
Sinkiang................
Specimin set.........
26,59,81-83.118
Starr Maj................
.............. 110-112
....................... 60
Szechwan..............
Townsend Richard
Yunnan Overprint....................................................................................................................................................................................60,115
Watermarks.................................................................................................................................................................................... 72,73,113
Wet vs. Dry printing....................................................................................................................................................................................... 26