InterAsia Dec. 10-12 sale: rarities, covers, and more

By Jay Bigalke

Unissued Chinese rarities are among the many stamps and postal history items that will be offered during InterAsia's Dec. 10-12 auction series.

The auction firm has compiled four catalogs for the sales: the Jane and Dan Sten Olsson collection of China's Large Dragons stamps (sale 4, Dec. 10), the People’s Republic of China and liberated areas (Dec. 11), Hong Kong and treaty ports (Dec. 12), and stamps and postal history of other Asian countries (Dec. 10-12).

An elephant design was considered for China's first postage stamps, but not accepted. One highlight of the Olsson collection sale is a plate proof pair of China's 5-cash elephant-design essay on thin native laid paper.

InterAsia notes that this pair, perforated at top and bottom, has “... excellent colour and sharp impression on this delicate paper which has remarkably retained its overall freshness, well centred with intact perforations, very fine state of conservation for this rare and elusive essay.”

The pair is listed by InterAsia Auctions with a presale estimate in Hong Kong dollars of $200,000 to $250,000. In mid-November, that estimate is roughly equivalent to $25,500 to $31,900 in United States dollars.

The Olsson collection also features an 1884 cover sent from China to the United States. It is franked with a U.S. 5¢ Zachary Taylor stamp and a single China Large Dragon 3-candarin stamp. It is one of 11 such Large Dragon-U.S. combination frankings known, according to the brief census provided by InterAsia.

The cover has an estimate of HK$1.5 million to HK$2 million ($191,550 to $255,400).

Among the unissued People's Republic of China rarities offered in the Dec. 11 sale are the two 1968 8-fen Great Victory of Cultural Revolution stamps, one showing Mao Tse-tung and Lin Piao and the other depicting a map and workers. The latter stamp is also known as the large-format Whole Country is Red stamp.

A note in the Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue reads, “Two values were prepared to celebrate the Great Victory of the Cultural Revolution but were not issued, although a few examples have entered the market place."

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In the sale, the Mao Tse-tung and Lin Piao stamp has an estimate of HK$400,000 to HK$500,000 ($51,100 to $63,850), and the Map and Workers stamp has an estimate of HK$4.5 million to HK$6 million ($574,700 to $766,200).

The Scott catalog gives a value of $300,000 and $1.15 million, respectively, for these unissued stamps.

The catalogs for the InterAsia auction series can be viewed online at www.interasia-auctions.com. The firm also has an online bid sheet available on the website.

The sales will be held in the Marina Room on level 2 of the Excelsior Hotel in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay area.

For additional information, contact InterAsia Auctions Ltd., Suite A, 13/F, Shun Ho Tower, 24-30 Ice House St., Central, Hong Kong.