Sale 78 China and other Asian Countries

China, 1878-1942, a fantastic mint or unused and used collection with particular emphasis on the Large Dragons and Red Revenues, comprising 1878-85 Large Dragons mint or unused (35) and used (125) including 1878 thin paper 1ca. to 5ca. mint (3 sets), 3ca. and 5ca. blocks of four from the lower right corner of the sheet both mint, and all three issues represented in depth such as 1882 wide margin 1ca. with "MO" of papermaker's watermark used and 5ca. used (8), and an excellent range of cancellations, 1885-88 Small Dragons 1ca. to 5ca. mint (7 sets) and blocks of six used (4, one cancelled by "Customs/Hankow" double-ring d.s. in red), 1894 Dowager Empress Birthday 1ca. to 24ca. mint (6 sets) and used (6 sets, one with Shanghai seals), 9ca. vertical tête-bêche pair mint and Mollendorf printing complete, 1897 New Currency surcharges small figures surcharges on Small Dragons 1c. on 1ca. to 5c. on 5ca. mint (3 sets) and large figures surcharges on Small Dragons 1c. on 1ca. to 5ca. mint, small figures surcharges on Dowager 1st printing ½c. on 3ca. to 30c. on 24ca. mint with 4c. on 4ca. mint pane, large figures surcharges 2.5mm. on Dowager 2nd printing ½c. on 3ca. to 30c. on 24ca. mint, 1897 surcharged for postage Red Revenues mint or unused (75) and used (90) with multiples and interesting cancellations throughout and including small figures surcharges 2c. on 3c. with surcharge inverted mint and large figures surcharges 1c. on 3c. marginal block of four mint, 4c. on 3c. mint or unused (10), and $1 on 3c. mint (7) and used (4, one with centrally struck "Customs/Shanghai" double-ring d.s. of "Jan 14 1897" in blue), 1897 I.C.P. ½c. to $5 mint, 1912 "Republic of China Provisional Neutrality" overprints for use in Hankow, Nanking and Changsha 1c. to $1 mint and $2 on piece cancelled by "Nanking City" c.d.s., 1912 "Republic of China" Statistical Dept. overprints ½c. to $5 mint, 1912 Commemorating the Revolution and Republic 1c. to $5 mint (both sets), 1913 London printing $1 to $10 corner or marginal examples mint, 1914-19 First Peking printing $20 from the lower left corner of the sheet mint, 1916 Hung Hsien prepared for use but not issued commemorative 5c. to 50c., both the unoverprinted and "Limited for Use in Sinkiang Province" overprinted sets, meticulously assembled over a number of years, with the undoubted emphasis on the 1878-85 Large Dragons and 1897 Red Revenue surcharges, the mint or unused stamps have mainly been carefully selected for quality and are fine to mostly very fine, the used are of similar quality, though some have small faults. A truly outstanding collection for the serious collector wishing to embark on a specialised adventure (700+).
Estimate HK$ 1,500,000 - 2,000,000