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Auction: 16012 - Meiso Mizuhara, The Exhibition Collections, The Chinese Customs Post
Lot: 1683

China
1878-83 The Large Dragon Issue
Foreign Post Office Covers
British Post Office
1880 (9 Mar.) opened-out envelope to Germany bearing, on the reverse, thin paper 3ca. brown-red [16] with 5ca. yellow [2] cancelled by a single strike of the large Tientsin seal type B with the Customs despatch c.d.s. in black alongside plus Customs Shanghai (9.3), Hong Kong (15.3) and Ausg c.d.s. (24.4); the address side with Hong Kong 1880 10c. on 12 c. tied by the "S1" obliterator in black with British Post Office Shanghai c.d.s. (11.3). A fine cover paying the 8ca. rate to foreign countries.


This is the earliest recorded date of use of any of the Hong Kong 1880 surcharge stamps used outside of Hong Kong (these stamps were issued in Hong Kong on 1st March).


Thought to be the earliest cover bearing Tientsin type B seal cancellation.

provenance: C.S. Tsou


literature: James Whang Large Dragon covers, number 58



There are only ten complete covers bearing Hong Kong stamps in combination with Large Dragon stamps

Sold for
HK$420,000