Spink China auction to offer Sianking postal history

By Michael Baadke

Spink China has an auction series scheduled for Jan. 21 at its offices in Hong Kong.

The sale opens Sunday morning with some 482 lots of Sianking postal history, commencing with Russian post office material ranging from the 1890s until the closing of the office in 1920, and including the only known cover from the Russian post office at Urumchi.

The session continues with mail of the Chinese post offices in Sianking, from the Imperial post office to the People’s Republic.

The catalog also provides an informative historical introduction to Sianking (East Turkestan) and its geographic significance along the Silk Road trading route.

On Sunday afternoon the sale will offer “fine stamps and covers of China and Hong Kong,” with more than 760 lots ranging from single stamps to large lots and collections.

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Included is “the unique complete sheet of twenty five from Setting III” of the 1882 1-candareen green, wide-setting, “with margins on three sides and with much of the original gum.” Some split perforations on the sheet have been reinforced.

This rare survivor was formerly part of the collections of Warren Kauder, and Anna-Lisa and Sven-Eric Beckeman.

The sheet is offered with an estimated selling price in Hong Kong dollars of $3 million to $3.5 million, or approximately US$384,000 to US$448,000.

Two catalogs have been prepared for the upcoming auctions and can be viewed online, with online bidding options available.

Information is also available from Spink China, 4/F and 5/F Hua Fu Commercial Building, 111 Queen’s Road West, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong.