The stamps were printed in Japan from designs proposed by the Customs Statistical Department in Shanghai. The values were in cents and dollars, and the unsold remainders of provisional stamps were withdrawn and superseded by this new issue? The three highest values were printed in two colours.
The rarity of this issue, from the specialist’s point of view, is the 50 cents printed in error in the intense dark green of the 10 c., instead of in its own pale yellow green. The stamps were printed on paper watermarked as before with the yin-yang sign and perforated. For the shade hunter they are exceptionally interesting, for the ½ c., 4 c., and 10 c. yield very distinct shades. Some of the high values are getting very scarce.
The numbers printed of this issue were as follows :
½ cent. claret 481,200
1 “ yellow 433,200
2 cents, orange 1,248,000
4 “ brown 912,000
5 “ rose 360,000
10 “ green 360,000
20 “ brown-lake 168,000
30 “ carmine 168,000
50 “ yellow-green 360,000
$1, carmine and rose 51,600
$2, orange and yellow 12,930
$5, yellow-green and rose 7,200
Wmk. Yin-yang. Perf.
Unused. Used.
s. d. s. d.
½ c., claret 0 1 0 1
1 c., yellow 0 2 0 2
2 c., deep orange 0 2 0 1
4 c., brown 0 4 0 1
5c., rose 0 4 0 3
10 c., dark green 0 6 0 2
30 c., carmine 3 0 3 0
50 c., yellow-green 5 0 3 6
$1, carmine and rose 10 0 10 0
$2, orange and yellow 20 0 20 0
$5, yellow-green and rose 80 0 – –
1898-1904. Twelve values. Designs: Similar to preceding issue, but re-engraved, with modifications in every value, by Messrs. Waterlow & Sons, London, and printed by them. The ½ c., 2 c., 4 c., 5 c., and 10 c. were all of the same dragon design without variations in the framework as in the Japanese issue; and the 20 c., 30 c., and 50 c. were of the same design with a carp as the central figure; the dollar values were of the “ wild goose” design. The first supplies were all printed by Messrs. Waterlow & Sons on paper watermarked with the yin-yang, a stock of watermarked paper, sufficient to thirteen million stamps, being forwarded to them, and after the exhaustion of that supply the stamps were to be printed on plain, unwatermarked paper. As the watermarks are most indistinct, it was some time before it was discovered that they had been printed on watermarked paper-indeed, in the Gibbons Catalogue of 1904 they are listed as “no wmk.”
Gibbons’ Catalogue has the following note concerning the watermarked paper:– ”On the 26th May, 1899, the stock of watermarked paper, 110 reams, enough to print about 13,000,000 stamps, was forwarded to Messrs. Waterlow & Sons to print on without regard to the stamps fitting the watermark, after the exhaustion of which paper the stamps were to be printed on plain paper. The two classes of stamps are difficult to separate, the watermark not showing very clearly, but the plain paper is slightly thicker and far more opaque.” In this case like many others the collector will do well to look out for copies that show the watermark clearly, for.some do and others do not.
Wmk. Yin-yang.
Perf. 14 to 16.
Unused. Used
s. d. s. d.
½ cent, brown 0 2 0 1
1 “ ochre-buff 0 2 0 2
2 “ cents, crimson 0 3 0 1
4 “ chestnut 0 3 0 1
5 “ pale red 0 9 0 1
10 “ deep green 0 6 0 2
20 “ brown lake 1 0 0 3
30 “ rose-red 1 3 1 0
50 “ green 2 0 0 9
$1, carmine and salmon 4 0 2 0
$2, yellow 7 6 5 0
$5, green and salmon 17 6 10 0
Error : 50 c. in colour of 10 c.
Unused. Used.
s. d. s. d.
50 c., deep green 30 0 – –
Range of Catalogue Prices: unused.
The higher values of these Japanese printed stamps have risen considerably in value, and there is no doubt that they are likely to be good stamps. The $3 values are very scarce, and especially the $5. The five ranges of shades throughout the lower values naturally attract the specialist.
1900 1903 1906 1908
$1 4 0 7 6 10 0 10 0
$2 10 0 20 0 20 0 20 0
$5 30 0 80 0 80 0 80 0
No wmk. Perf. 14 to 16.
Unused. Used.
s. d. s. d.
½ c., brown 0 1 0 1
lc., buff 0 1 0 1
2c., crirnson 0 1 0 1
4 c., chestnut – – 0 4
5 c., salmon 0 6 0 2
5 c., orange-yellow 0 3 0 1
10 c., green – – 0 3
20 c., brown lake – – – –
30 c., rose red – – – –
50 c., green – – – –
$1 carmine and salmon – – – –
$2 carmine and yellow – – – –
$5 green and salmon – – – –
1905. One value. Design unchanged, but colour altered from salmon to purple.
No wmk. Perf. 14 to 16.
5 c., purple – – 0 1
1907. One value. Design: same as the 20 c. of the previous issue. A new value introduced for the purpose of prepaying foreign letters weighing between 20 and 40 grammes.
No wmk. Perf. 14 to 16.
16 c., olive green – – – –
Investment.
Most collectors now-a-days want to know how a country stands from the investment point of view. Is it worth putting money into? is a very general question. Some countries are full of promise for investment, whilst others are purely and almost solely philatelic. China is what I should term an almost purely philatelic country. In the days to come it may be opened out by the specialist into an investment country, but at present it cannot be considered to be ripe very much in that direction. It is full of philatelic interest from its first issue to its last, in fact, I know of few countries so interesting from the purely philatelic standpoint. Its stamps are decidedly cheap from start to finish, and they are free from the speculative and commemorative taint. They are rich in varieties of shades and minor differences on which I have not touched in these articles for fear of wearying my readers. Were I writing for specialists I might have extended my pages to double the number for the stamps of China have been favourites of mine for many a year, and I strongly recommend them to those collectors who want a fine country to specialise that will not require much outlay of money; but will yield them a rich philatelic harvest, and open up interesting points and afford plenty of scope for further research. The first issue offers abundant room for further research.
Bibliography.
Books and articles relating to the stamps of China are not plentiful. The most valuable is a brochure published by Mr. J. Mencarini, of the Imperial Maritime Customs Service, Shanghai, in 1906. It may be taken as a semi-official summary of the various issues with the numbers printed of each value. No price is marked on it, and as it has been a labour of love on the art of a specialist copies may probably be had by writing to Mr. Mencarini.
Mr. M. Croucher contributed a short general article on the Chinese Imperial Customs Post to the Monthly Journal, Vol. 12, p. 172.
Mr. B. W. H. Poole wrote up the differences which he found in the first issue for the Monthly Journal, Vol. 16, p. 65, showing that the designs were not quite identical for all three values.
In the Philatelic Record, Vol. 19, p. 101, will be found an official postal notice concerning rates of postage, stamps, deliveries, &c., and on p. 296 of the same vol. is a reprint of a summary of the issues of China, from Le Timbre Post.
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