Interasia Auctions July 18-20 sale to offer China, PRC, Hong Kong and Treaty Ports

By Charles Snee

Interasia Auctions will offer a broad array of China, People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong and Treaty Ports, and other Asian countries during a three-day auction July 18-20 at the Excelsior Hotel in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.

According to the firm’s website, the “2,620 lot sale includes another outstanding offering of China and Hong Kong stamps and postal history, with important Ching Dynasty and Republic of China rarities, substantial postal history, and a major section of People’s Republic and Liberated Areas with notable rarities.”

Two catalogs have been produced for the sale.

The first catalog features stamps and postal history of China, Hong Kong and Asian countries, while the second offers stamps and postal history of the People’s Republic of China and liberated areas.

Both catalogs are available for viewing on the Interasia website.

Among the China items to be offered are large selections of Large and Small Dragons, Dowager Empress 60th Birthday and Red Revenue issues.

A reconstructed half sheet of 50 of the 2¢-on-3¢ Red Revenue of 1897 (Scott 79) that once resided in the collection of Lam Man Yin is one of the highlights of the China sale.

As an added bonus, the sheet contains a trio of desirable varieties: the inverted “S” in “CENTS” (Scott 97b), no period after “CENTS” (97c) and comma after “CENTS” (97d).

Interasia describes the sheet as having bright color and being “well centered, overall very fine mint or unused with much original gum.”

This outstanding Red Revenue multiple has a presale estimate of HK$500,000 to $600,000 (US$64,500 to $77,400).

The Hong Kong section includes an ample selection of 1863-71 Queen Victoria stamps in unused and used condition.

Some large multiples also are being offered, one of which is a half sheet of 120 of the 12¢ light blue Queen Victoria (Scott 15).

Asian countries represented include Bhutan, Japan, Korea, Malaya and states, North Borneo, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

From stamps and postal history to essays and proofs, there are items to fit a wide range of collecting budgets.

For the People’s Republic of China, Interasia states that its offering “is noteworthy for a number of the rarities from both the early period, including a fantastic sheet margin example of the 1956 unissued Views of Peking with background of rays of sunlight, and the Cultural Revolution with the 1968 unissued Victory stamp and the undoubted highlight — a wonderful mint block of four of the iconic Whole Country is Red [Scott 999A].”

According to Interasia, the 1968 8-fen Whole Country is Red block is “mint with pristine white original gum, immaculately fresh with vivid colors on bright white paper, block folded along horizontal row of perforations with a few separated perfs. at right. An exquisite and very rare block of this iconic stamp with four very fine examples.”

The 2016 Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue values an unused single Whole Country is Red stamp at $190,000. The unused block of four in the Interasia auction is estimated at HK$3,000,000 to $4,000,000 (US$387,000 to $516,000).

Included in the Interasia lot description for the Whole Country is Red block is a short summary of the stamp’s discovery: “Within the first half day of its issue in Beijing, the editor of the China Atlas Press had discovered that there were geographical inaccuracies in the map (the Archipelagos of Xisha and Nanshi were omitted).

“The stamp was withdrawn almost immediately; however, some post offices had already sold the stamps before the official date of issue. It has also been surmised that another reason that the stamp was withdrawn was that notwithstanding its name, Taiwan is colored white (rather than red).”

For additional information about the sale and bidding online, visit the Interasia website. To obtain auction catalogs, write to Interasia Auctions, Suite A, 13/F, Shun Ho Tower, 24-30 Ice House St., Central, Hong Kong.