Kelleher and Rogers Oct. 11-13 auction series in Hong Kong to offer classic China, PRC, Japan, more

By Charles Snee

Kelleher and Rogers Ltd., a division of Daniel F. Kelleher Auctions, will offer stamps of classic China, the People’s Republic of China, Japan and other Asian countries during a series of four public auctions to be held Oct. 11-13 at the Renaissance Hong Kong Harbour View Hotel, 1 Harbour Road, in Hong Kong.

The series leads off with the Oct. 11 general sale of China and Asia, followed by the Oct. 12 auction of the Greenleaf collection of the liberated areas of the People’s Republic of China.

The general sale consists of almost 600 lots that will “tempt both the general and specialist collector,” Kelleher and Rogers said.

According to Kelleher and Rogers, the Greenleaf collection “presents one of the finest holdings of Liberated Areas material we have had the honor to offer.”

“Each Area is represented, with many difficult-to-find items present, as well as a solid number of postally used examples,” Kelleher and Rogers said.

On Oct. 12 Kelleher and Rogers will offer the 86 Dragon Supreme holding. The “86” refers to the number of lots in the sale. According to Kelleher and Rogers, the collection contains “perhaps the finest array of Chinese rarities ever brought together in a single sale.”

The auction series concludes Oct. 13 with the auction of the Tony To-Wah Kwan collection of Empress Dowager Jubilee and surcharged issues of imperial China.

“The name Tony Kwan is synonymous with Imperial China’s Dowagers Issue,” Kelleher and Rogers said. “Kelleher & Rogers is privileged to offer his multiple award-winning collection, which presents some of the finest and most difficult-to-obtain material relating to both the basic issue and its various surcharges.”

A featured stamp in the Greenleaf collection is a marvelous unused example (without gum as issued) of the 1938 Soldier in the War against Japanese Aggression (Yang NC8), which is known to collectors as the Running Soldier stamp.

Kelleher and Rogers describes the stamp as having “nice color” and “good to large margins.” Yang’s signature red guarantee handstamp appears in the top corner on the back (not shown).

Kelleher and Rogers estimates this 1938 Running Soldier stamp at HK$26,000 to HK$30,000 (approximately US$3,334 to US$3,847 in early September) and lists it with an opening bid of HK$13,000 (US$1,667).

A great rarity of imperial China will cross the auction block during the Oct. 12 auction of the 86 Dragon Supreme collection: an unused top right margin single of the 1915 $2 blue and black Hall of Classics Gateway stamp with the black vignette (center) of the gateway inverted (Scott 237a).

According to Kelleher and Rogers, only two sheets of 50 were printed with the center inverted.

There is evidence of hinging in the margin, but the stamp itself possesses full original gum that has never been hinged.

Kelleher and Rogers describes the error as “one of the most notable and desirable examples of this rare variety.”

“Although a number of marginal examples are known, this is believed to be one of only two surviving corner examples,” Kelleher and Rogers said.

According to Kelleher and Rogers, additional information about the famous error can be found in an article by Huang Kuang-Sheng in issue No. 39 (1991) of the Chinese Philatelist.

A 1915 $2 Hall of Classics Gateway invert in unused condition is valued at $175,000 in the Scott Classic Specialized Catalogue of Stamps and Covers 1840-1940. The value is in italics to indicate an item that can be a challenge to value because it seldom appears in the philatelic marketplace.

Kelleher and Rogers is offering this top right margin single of the 1915 $2 blue and black Hall of Classics Gateway invert with an estimate of HK$800,000 to HK$1 million (US$102,584 to US$128,229) and a starting bid of HK$400,000 (US$51,290).

Kelleher and Rogers has prepared separate catalogs for the four sales of stamps from classic China, the People’s Republic of China, Japan and other Asian countries that are available for viewing and download on the firm’s website. Online bidding options are available on Stamp Auction Network.

For additional information, contact Daniel F. Kelleher Auctions, 22 Shelter Rock Lane, Unit 53, Danbury, CT 06810.

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