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Auction: 16012 - Meiso Mizuhara, The Exhibition Collections, The Chinese Customs Post
Lot: 1682

China
1878-83 The Large Dragon Issue
Foreign Post Office Covers
United States Post Office
1878 (20 Dec.) neat envelope from Warren, U.S.A. to Shanghai bearing 1875 5c. Taylor tied by the despatch duplex. The 5ca. inland mail is made up of 1ca. deep green [18] and [19] with 3ca. brownish red [15] with right margin (trimmed perfs. at foot) tied by " customs/shanghai" 1879 (6 Feb.) c.d.s. in red with a further, clear strike on the lower corner.


A delightful and very important cover with many desirable attributes including being the earliest incoming cover bearing Large Dragon stamps and the only 5ca. rate cover with 1ca. and 3ca. franking.


Believed to be the only incoming U.S. Plus Large Dragon combination cover


An exhibition item of the highest calibre

provenance: Warren G. Attwood, October 1952


literature: James Whang Large Drgon covers, number 5

The 5ca. rate was employed in 1878-79. Richard Pratt records thirteen covers, eight being internal covers addressed to Messrs Hall & Holtz. The 3ca. and 5ca. rates seemed to have been used at the same time and it is still unclear the exact reason for the difference though it is believed that the 5ca. represents the inland registered rate



There are eleven Large Dragon covers relating to the U.S.A., only two of these are incoming



J.F. Oiesen joined the I.M.C. in July 1877

Sold for
HK$4,800,000