Sale #44 - China and Other Asian Countries

China, Large Dragon (Cover) : 1883 (29 May) envelope (printed crest of "Légation de France en Chine" on flap at back) to Paris (20.7) bearing on reverse Large Dragons 1878 thin paper 1ca. green and 5ca. orange and 1882 wide margin 3ca. brown-red, cancelled by Peking seal in blue, matching "I.G. of Customs/Peking" double-ring origin d.s. and barely legible "Customs/Shanghai" double-ring d.s. in red alongside, and on front France Peace and Commerce 25c. bistre on straw pair cancelled by "Shang-hai/Chine" c.d.s. (8.6), showing "Modane à Paris" c.d.s. (20.7) in red adjacent, with "Paris/(Distributon)" arrival c.d.s. on reverse, very fine and appealing 9 candarins mixed issue franking of all three values. From the Huang Ming-Jeng collection.
Estimate HK$ 300,000 - 400,000
Expertisation: R.P.S. certificate (1982).
Provenance: Edgar Mohrmann (Hamburg), Auction No. 160 (12.10.82), lot 221
Taiwan Rupen (Taipei), 14.8.88, lot 42.
References: James B. Whang, A Comprehensive Illustration on Covers of Chinese Large Dragons (Taipei, 1997), pp. 353-354. Illustrated.
The 9 candarins paid the 4 mace weight, but the cover was handled at the double rate by the French Post Office, since it weighed over 10 grammes.