Sale 78 China and other Asian Countries

China, 1897 Large Wide Surcharge on Dowager 1st printing 10c. on 12ca. brown-orange with interpane margin at left, surcharge applied toward top, deep bright colour, well centred just to top right with wide margins on the other two sides, very fine and wonderfully fresh unused with practically full original gum, light crayon numeral on reverse of no consequence. A notable example of this great rarity, and, irrefutably, among the finest examples extant. Chan 54.
Estimate HK$ 400,000 - 500,000

Expertisation: R.P.S. certificate (2006).

THIS IS THE ONLY MARGINAL EXAMPLE OF THE "GOLDEN DRAGON" RECORDED TO DATE. FROM DETAILED STUDY BY NEILL GRANGER (COPY OF REPORT, 28 JANUARY 2006, ACCOMPANIES THE LOT), THIS EXAMPLE APPEARS TO JOIN THAT FROM THE SIR PERCIVAL DAVID COLLECTION (ROBSON LOWE, 22.7.1970, LOT 152, ACQUIRED BY QUINTIN TAN KOK TIN, WHO THEN SOLD IT TO HIS FRIEND WILSON TE, WHO EVENTUALLY SOLD IT IN ZURICH ASIA, 18.3.2006, LOT 617) TO HAVE ORIGINALLY FORMED A HORIZONTAL PAIR. THE ABOVE ILLUSTRATION SHOWS THE TWO STAMPS SIDE-BY-SIDE TO DEMONSTRATE THIS IMPORTANT FACT.

There are less than ten unused examples which today's leading experts and specialists would unanimously accept as being the genuine "Golden Dragon". Of these, three either have a straight edge or are reperforated at foot.

The "Golden Dragon" ranks among the rarest unused stamps not only of the 1897 New Currency Dowager surcharges, but also of all China. Of the Dowager surcharges, the rarest unused stamp is the large figures 1.5mm setting on Dowager first printing 2c. on 2ca. green ("Emerald Lady"), of which only two examples are recorded. Next comes the "Golden Dragon", which is, in fact, far rarer in unused condition than the large figures 1.5mm setting on Dowager first printing 30c. on 24ca. ("Red Ruby"), which is only known in unused condition.

The only recorded unused multiple was the famous block of four from the Dr. Warren G. Kauder collection, which was purchased by Lyons Livingston at the Robson Lowe auction in 1971, but this was lost in an airplane crash from Bangkok to Hong Kong, in which Livingston also perished.