Sale 78 China and other Asian Countries

China, 1883-85 Large Dragon thick paper 3ca. vermilion on thick soft wove paper, the second and third reserve clichés [27] and [28], the former with rough perfs. resembling 1885 issue and black small seal cancellation, the latter has large hole private perforation 8 and repaired top right corner, a fine appearing set of these very rare clichés which are not known in any Setting and, therefore, are only believed to exist in proof form. These are offered on a hypothetical basis, emanating from the study of a vast multitude of Large Dragon 3 candarins stamps. From the Beckeman collection.
Estimate HK$ 8,000 - 10,000

The second and third reserve clichés are relatively crude productions probably made toward the end of the Large Dragon issue. The proofs were struck side-by-side on the same sheetlet produced on a thick coarse manila paper. Only three such composite die proofs have been recorded. The two stamps (proofs) offered here might emanate from different sheetlets due to their contrasting shades and length of perforations at right and left sides respectively, since the proof impressions were struck close together. The two clichés are unmistakable : [27] is a "small" stamp with noticeable frame breaks at top and the top right, and [28] has a dot in margin outside the top left frame line, dot in lower right corner of the top left tablet, and a break in horizontal line over the "3" at lower right.